Since the Dubrovka theatre siege, the media had been put on a tight leash.

Candles are lit in front of portraits of victims of the October 2002 Dubrovka Theatre siege in Moscow in this October 23, 2005 file photo.

The use of chemical less-lethals has always been controversial -especially after fentanyl gas was used to break up the 2002 Moscow Theatre Siege.

The climate of secrecy in Russia is alive and well - as the lack of information on the gas in the Moscow theatre siege shows.

During the recent Moscow hostage crisis, when he chose to withhold important information from the public, he put these skills to the test.