MOSCOW — As a kid in a dismal Soviet communal apartment, Vladimir Putin was a scrapper who dreamed of being an operator — diligently training in martial arts and boldly walking into a KGB office to inquire about how to become a spy.
Associated Press: Vladimir Putin’s power from mean streets to Kremlin
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attend a meeting of Russia's top military brass in Balashikha outside Moscow on Dec. 22, 2017.
