Overview

• The Republic of Dagestan’s Ministry for National Policy said social-media reports of Egortsev’s death in a traffic accident are false.
• Posts online had alleged he and a 9-year-old were killed on the Makhachkala–Talgi–Buynaksk road and that five others were injured.
• Officials noted that Egortsev took part on Wednesday in a plenary session of an anti-terrorism forum in Makhachkala.
• Egortsev told TASS he learned of the rumor while at the forum and said only a few people knew about his trip to Dagestan.
• He speculated, without providing evidence, that hostile foreign intelligence services could be behind the fake report and related calls for protests.