As Vladimir Putin tightens his circle of trust, a former secret service officer has emerged as one of his closest aides. Dmitry Mironov cuts an inscrutable figure. In recent years, the stocky Russian official has seldom appeared in public, and when he does, he usually fronts his signature scowl. Over …

The story of one of Russia’s most secretive officials – the chief personnel officer of the Russian regime There is a special position in the Kremlin hierarchy. “This is a caste of chosen people,” said Alexey Dyumin, recently Secretary of the State Council, and before that, Putin’s long-time bodyguard. Dyumin …

A mushroom-shaped cloud and water column from the underwater Baker nuclear explosion off the Marshall Islands, July 25, 1946. (Pictures from History/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) They were all buddy-buddy for the cameras, going for a joy ride in a deluxe limo and toasting each other at a gala …