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Soldier, spy: more details of Vladimir Putin's past revealed
Source: The Guardian
Soldier, spy: more details of Vladimir Putin's past revealed
Russian president, on a visit to a fortress, says he commanded a howitzer artillery battalion
Marc Bennetts in Moscow
Tue 8 Jan 2019 13.09 GMT
Vladimir Putin has revealed that he commanded an artillery battalion during the Soviet period, a detail of his shadowy biography that was previously unknown.
Putin made the comment during a visit on Monday to St Petersburg’s Peter and Paul Fortress, where he pulled the lever on a cannon that fires a daily salute at noon over the Neva River.
“I received the rank of lieutenant as an artilleryman, as the commander of a howitzer artillery battalion… 122mm [calibre],” Putin said, according to video footage posted by the Kremlin. He gave no further details.
An official at the fortress congratulated the Russian president on a “wonderful” cannon shot.
Putin’s official biography makes no mention of his military rank of lieutenant or of his position as commanding officer of an artillery battalion.
-snip-
Russian president, on a visit to a fortress, says he commanded a howitzer artillery battalion
Marc Bennetts in Moscow
Tue 8 Jan 2019 13.09 GMT
Vladimir Putin has revealed that he commanded an artillery battalion during the Soviet period, a detail of his shadowy biography that was previously unknown.
Putin made the comment during a visit on Monday to St Petersburg’s Peter and Paul Fortress, where he pulled the lever on a cannon that fires a daily salute at noon over the Neva River.
“I received the rank of lieutenant as an artilleryman, as the commander of a howitzer artillery battalion… 122mm [calibre],” Putin said, according to video footage posted by the Kremlin. He gave no further details.
An official at the fortress congratulated the Russian president on a “wonderful” cannon shot.
Putin’s official biography makes no mention of his military rank of lieutenant or of his position as commanding officer of an artillery battalion.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/08/soldier-spy-more-details-of-vladimir-putins-past-revealed
