A militant communist threw a glass of water over former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev during a roundtable discussion in Moscow on Thursday, the Interfax news agency reported. "I threw a glass of water at the former president of the USSR because I don't agree with his position," said Segei Udalsev, the leader of a group called Red Youth Avant Garde.
Udalsev was arrested after his stunt.
He accused Gorbachev of being directly responsible for the destruction of the Soviet Union and of being a traitor to the country and the Communist party, which he led.
"He called on all the forces of youth, from the left and the right, to unite, that's what I find unacceptable," said Udalsev, adding that he did not regret his actions.
Gorbachev said the gesture was purely a publicity stunt.
"Because there was a girl taking pictures. He was probably also hoping one of my bodyguards would hit him to create and even bigger stir," he added.
Gorbachev led the Soviet Unio from 1985 until its break-up in 1991. Many in Russia hold him responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union.