Sex sting of former Russian PM destroys chances of rivalling Putin

Moscow: Former Russian Prime Minsiter Mikhail Kasyanov, a major anti-Putin opposition figure in Russia, has been struck by controversy yet again, with a grainy video of him, filmed in an apparent sex sting, going viral.

Kasyanov, who is married, served as prime minister under President Vladimir Putin from 2000-2004, and has been bearing the brunt of multiple death threats and political vendetta in recent months.

The video aired by Kremlin friendly channel NTV, depicts grainy, black and white footages of 58-year-old politician with prominent British political activist Natalya Pelevine, said reports.

Pelevine, 39 has been a vocal critique of the Russian leadership especially regarding its policies in Chechenya.

Though the video featured the couple in various stages of undress, it did not show explicit nudity or any sort of active sexual acts.

Kasyanov was shown in the cross-hairs of a sniper's rifle in a video posted on the internet earlier this month by the pro-Russian boss of Chechnya, a Putin ally known for scathing condemnations of the Kremlin's enemies.

Days later, two men accosted Kasyanov in a Moscow restaurant, rubbed a cake in his face and threatened him.

Nemtsov, his friend and fellow opposition leader, was shot dead near the Kremlin almost exactly a year ago.

Kasyanov, who is co-chairman of PARNAS, said the Kremlin and nationalist groups had designated him as "enemy number one" now that Nemtsov was dead and because of his decision to head his party's list in parliamentary elections in September.

"The authorities want to stop my political activity with threats," he had said.

"They want to force me out of the country. Their aim is to frighten me. But I have decided that I am going to continue with my activity."

Kasyanov was hounded by pro-Kremlin activists in recent weeks when he tried to address voters in Russia's regions and says his assistants were physically assaulted. Footage of one incident shows him being chased down a corridor.

He said he was the only former prime minister who did not have bodyguards assigned to him by the state and that Putin had personally stripped him of his security detail.

Once on good terms with the Russian leader Putin, he and his cabinet were fired by Putin in 2004.