Russian human rights activist and former Duma candidate Ilya Kostyukov reportedly fled Russia on September 10 due to safety concerns. Kostyukov stated he received threats related to his criticism of a regional governor.

Kostyukov claimed he received two types of threats: one involving a "BАРS-Belgorod" group allegedly planning to target him with a Ukrainian drone, and another directly warning him to withdraw from elections or face harm. He stated he feared for his safety during the campaign.