The former bodyguard of Putin defies Navalny in a duel

MOSCOW – In an extraordinary public explosion, the former bodyguard of President Vladimir Putin and head of the National Guard on Tuesday challenged opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a duel.

Viktor Zolotov recorded a moving seven-minute speech on the National Guard's YouTube channel on Tuesday, attacking Navalny for his investigation into the large-scale corruption of the National Guard. Zolotov admitted "shortcomings in terms of corruption" in his government agency, but rejected Navalny's claim that he personally benefited from questionable agreements.

Navalny, Russia's most popular opposition leader, is currently in prison for a 30-day sentence for organizing an unauthorized public protest. Last month, he released an investigation alleging that at least $ 29 million had been stolen from purchase contracts for the National Guard.

Navalny gained prominence through his investigations revealing official corruption and led anti-government protests across Russia, shaking the Kremlin. Rallies took place Sunday in all 11 time zones in Russia, and National Guard riot police violently cracked down on protests in some cities.

Zolotov, 64, who rarely makes public appearances, went on YouTube to express his frustration with the opposition leader. Zolotov is said to have been insulted by Navalny's allegation and felt compelled "as an officer" to challenge him to a duel:

"I just defy you to fight: in a ring, on a tatami, wherever I promise you to make a good juicy beef steak," Zolotov said, sitting at the desk and shaking his fist.

Zolotov served in Putin's security service for 13 years and would be one of the president's closest allies.

His speech on Tuesday deviates radically from the Kremlin's usual policy of avoiding mentioning Navalny's name in public. Over the years, Putin has ignored Navalny's investigations and protests, even refusing to call him by name.

However, Navalny had problems with the Russian forces of order while its importance increased. He was convicted of two separate charges and his family members and allies were prosecuted.

The Kremlin on Tuesday rejected suggestions that it encouraged Zolotov to make his statement.

Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Zolotov had not delivered his speech from the president and that the Kremlin did not consider him a physical threat to Navalny. Peskov called Navalny's investigation "shameless lies" and supported the Zolotov explosion, stating that "sometimes, you have to fight shamelessly defamation with all possible means".

While most of Navalny's allies treated Zolotov's statement as a joke, others saw scary openings in the emotional appeal of the former bodyguard.

"Zolotov's public threats against Navalny must be taken without any irony," said Ilya Yashin, an opposition activist and close friend of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov.

Yashin spoke of Zolotov's close ties with Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, whom the opposition considers the cause of Nemtsov's murder in 2015: "Because of the Nemtsov affair, we know how the bandits