Reuters Moscow correspondent Guy Faulconbridge was among a group of journalists invited on Sunday to a shooting range with Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the nationalist firebrand who is running in the March 2 presidential election. Here are his reflections on what he saw and heard:

What better to blow away the election blues than a bit of shooting and vodka? And who better to liven up the atmosphere than Vladimir Zhirinovsky?

Especially when he is accompanied by his new party colleague Andrei Lugovoy, the former KGB agent suspected by Britain of murdering Russian emigre and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London.

The venue is a shooting range outside Moscow owned by Lugovoy’s private security company. Zhirinovsky, dressed in full combat fatigues, inspects the weapons and picks a giant shotgun. Before shooting he tells the organisers to give the journalists some tranquilisers so they don’t get scared.

Three identical cardboard men — who he says are election opponents Andrei Bogdanov, Communist Leader Gennady Zyuganov and Kremlin-backed frontrunner Dmitry Medvedev - are the targets.

“Three bullets for Medvedev and all hits to the most dangerous places,” Zhirinovsky says as he inspects the silhouettes. “Just look at that - I hit Medvedev! Who else can do that?”

The 61-year-old launches into a tirade about Britain, saying London has always been the enemy of Russia. Lugovoy — who says he had nothing to do with the death of Litvinenko, a former spy — also shows off his shooting skills for the photographers. For the record, he is an excellent shot. Then we retire for vodka.

After half a litre with Zhirinovsky, we move onto his life: is he not tired of politics? “Tired?” he says with a sad glint in his eyes. “I live for this and the Russian people need me. I always wanted to be a politician. I have power, a little anyway, and people need me. The rest are Kremlin candidates. I alone am for the people.”

But people say you are approved by the Kremlin too? “Don’t talk rubbish - you English are always trying to cause trouble. People will vote for me and if the elections were fair I would win. Why don’t you write that?”

Mellowing, he downs the last vodka, smiles and tells me that not all the English are bad. “You have the Queen, we have Putin and Medvedev. But come with me on campaign and then we will really drink. Then you will see how the people want me as leader.”