Support The Moscow Times!

Putin's Ex-Bodyguard Challenges Navalny to a ‘Duel’

Viktor Zolotov (Russia’s National Guard / Youtube)

The head of Russia’s National Guard has challenged opposition leader Alexei Navalny to a duel and promised to pound him into a ‘juicy steak’ as punishment for Navalny's series of videos exposing alleged corruption by Russia’s top government officials.

In an Aug. 23 video investigation, Navalny alleged that leadership in the Russian National Guard had diverted millions of rubles from procurement contracts earmarked for food for soldiers. Viktor Zolotov, President Vladimir Putin’s former bodyguard, heads the National Guard. Navalny, meanwhile, is serving a 30-day sentence behind bars for a protest-related infraction.

In a rare video address published on the National Guard’s YouTube page, Zolotov said Navalny had slandered the National Guard, and it wouldn’t be forgotten. 

“The officer corps aren’t allowed to let these things go,” said Zolotov. “For centuries, people slapped people in the face and challenged them to a duel.”

“I’m simply challenging you to combat,” Zolotov said in the video message. “I promise to turn you into a juicy pounded steak in a few minutes.”

Zolotov likened Navalny to opposition figures like the deceased oligarch Boris Berezovsky and former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, calling them all “rotten, rusty and decaying.”

“You are all running around the Baltics, meeting in secret to discuss how to rip our state into pieces,” he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more