Vladimir Putin to begin fifth term as president of Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives at a ceremony (Sergei Guneyev/AP)

Vladimir Putin begins his fifth term as Russian president in an opulent Kremlin inauguration, after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and consolidating all power in his hands.

Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Mr Putin’s new term doesn’t expire until 2030, when he is constitutionally eligible to run for another six years.