Vladimir Putin says he resorted to taxi driving after fall of Soviet Union

Russian leader says it is unpleasant to talk about' his cab work in that period as he laments Soviet Union's demise

Russian president Vladimir Putin has said the collapse of the Soviet Union spelled the end of historical Russia", revealing that he drove a taxi to make ends meet after the fall of the USSR.

Putin, a former agent of the Soviet Union's KGB security services, has previously lamented the USSR's fall but this time said the disintegration three decades ago remained a tragedy" for most citizens".