Moscow (CNN)At first glance, it looked like an episode from nineteenth-century Russian novel: A general challenging his opponent to a duel. In reality, it was direct threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s domestic political opposition.
On Tuesday, Russia’s National Guard chief, Viktor Zolotov, released a YouTube video challenging opposition leader Alexei Navalny to a duel, calling the anti-corruption activist a “scoundrel,” and threatening to turn him into a “tenderized beefsteak.”
The video, nearly seven minutes long, was posted on the official YouTube channel of Russia’s National Guard. Zolotov, appearing in uniform and wearing an officer’s peaked cap, addressed the activist directly and with barely contained anger in his voice.
