Unhappy birthday: Russia’s Vladimir Putin turns 70 with plenty to ponder

A string of embarassing defeats welcomes the Russian president’s milestone birthday

Vladimir Putin turns 70 on Friday.

It is a landmark birthday but it is fair to say however he chooses to mark the day, a shadow will hangover the Russian president’s celebrations.

In previous years he has celebrated by hiking in Siberia, playing ice hockey and scoring seven goals, and attending world summits.