Russian President Putin inspects venues ahead of Sochi Winter Olympics

Mr Putin arrives in Sochi to begin a final round of inspections of Olympic facilities and infrastructure ahead of the start of the games next month.
Mr Putin arrived in Sochi on Friday to begin a final round of inspections of Olympic facilities and infrastructure ahead of the opening ceremony of the games on February 7.
He was joined by Dmitry Medvedev, his prime minister and one-time president, to inspect a ski slope and ski several runs at the Gazprom-built Laura ski resort and biathlon venue on Friday, before continuing his visit to the coastal stadiums on Saturday.
Russia has spared no expense on Sochi games, ploughing an estimated $51 billion into the organisation and construction effort, making it by far the most expensive Olympic Games ever.
But Mr Putin has invested much more than money in the project.
Having personally overseen the Olympic effort since he led Russia's winning bid in 2007, the event is seen in Russia and abroad as his personal prestige project.
And like any protective parent, the Russian government is also making sure that the world's most expensive Olympics will also be its most secure.
A decree signed by Mr Putin in August establishes two security zones - one "controlled," where visitors and vehicles will be subject to thorough security and document checks, and one entirely closed "forbidden" zone stretching from the border with Abkhazia and across large swathes of the mountainous Sochi national park.
To access the "controlled zone," which stretches roughly 60 miles along the coast and 25 miles inland, spectators will have to go through police check points where their baggage and vehicles will be x-rayed.
This "ring of steel" will begin to fall into place on Tuesday, when Russia's Federal Security Service, which has overall responsibility for Olympic security, will close the entire Sochi municipality and seaboard to any vehicle without a local registration number or special accreditation issued by the Olympic authorities. Meanwhile, hunting shops and wholesalers will have to suspend sales of weapons, ammunition or explosives (and industrial and agricultural supplies containing them).
The area will be patrolled and guarded by some 37,000 policemen and troops. The Russian defence minister revealed earlier this year that at least six Pantsir-S medium range surface to air missile systems -- capable of intercepting both aircraft an incoming cruise missiles -- will guard the skies.
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