Russia's National Guard chief challenges opposition leader Navalny to a duel

In a nearly seven-minute long video published to the National Guard's official YouTube channel, Zolotov -- appearing visibly angry and addressing the activist as "Mr. Navalny" -- slammed Navalny's claims as "insulting, slanderous fabrications."

Navalny accuses the leadership of the National Guard, or Rosgvardia, of being part of a scheme involving buying food for soldiers at inflated prices from a single supplier.

"In the officers' circles, we never simply forgive such things and from time immemorial any scoundrel would earn a slap in the face and a challenge to a duel," Zolotov said. He said he would turn Navalny into "mincemeat."

"Mr. Navalny, it wouldn't be a bad thing to revive some of those traditions. I mean getting satisfaction. I simply challenge you to a duel, in a boxing ring, tatami or wherever. I promise to make a juicy steak of you in a couple of minutes," Zolotov said while clenching his hand into a fist.

In his rare social media appearance, Zolotov admitted that there are cases of corruption but said that corrupt individuals are being brought to justice.

He said Navalny was a product from an "American test-tube" and a "puppet" placed to destabilize the political and economic situation in the country.

Navalny has been excluded from state media coverage but has gained a wide audience through social media. The protests that he organizes have become a vehicle for expressing discontent with the rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin and government corruption.

He was barred from challenging Putin in the 2018 presidential election because he carries a fraud conviction, which he has dismissed as a politically motivated move to keep him off the ballot.

Members of his organization responded to Zolotov's statement by posing in boxing stances, and saying officials should be answering uncomfortable questions instead of issuing threats.

Prior to his position at the National Guard, Zolotov served as chief of Putin's Federal Security Service.

When asked to comment on the video, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he agrees with Zolotov that slanderous statements should be "nipped in the bud" and said the video should not be taken as a physical threat to Navalny.

"Sometimes, it is necessary to use everything to fight brazen defamation, really shameless slander which is nothing but a violation of existing laws," Peskov said Tuesday, as quoted by state news agency TASS.

Peskov also said the Kremlin had nothing to do with the video.

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