Vladimir Putin, the horse-riding president with the frostiest handshake going around, has just celebrated his 63rd birthday and he wasn’t about to sit back with his feet up.

The occasion was marked by a spot of ice hockey in Sochi, although it wasn’t just fun and games as he also addressed the country on Russia’s military campaign in Syria. Below from IOL:

State TV showed Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu telling Putin that the Russian military had struck 112 targets in Syria since it began its air campaign last Wednesday, and that cruise missiles had been fired overnight from Russian warships in the Caspian Sea at Islamist militants in Syria.

“That we carried this out from the Caspian Sea at a distance of around 1,500 kilometres (932.06 miles), with high-precision weapons and hit all our targets, reflects of course the good preparation of our military industrial complex,” said Putin.

After the address it was onto the ice as Putin’s team cleaned up 15-0, the leader scoring a whopping seven goals himself. So how does one celebrate such a stellar performance then?

Putin’s spokesman said the Russian leader would “modestly” celebrate after the match with his fellow players before probably spending the evening with his friends and loved ones.

Nostrovia (or Na Zdorovie in Russian] Vladimir, here’s to you hanging up your political boots soon and letting someone else rule the roost.

[source:iol]