Online publication Znak.com reported that Russian officials and deputies have been advised to bring their relatives, namely children studying abroad and parents living in other countries, back home. According to the publication, which cited unnamed sources, this informal request was made by the presidential administration.

Znak.com maintains that this recommendation has been made to all officials, including members of the presidential administration, as well as deputies at all levels of government and employees of state-owned corporations.

This information has yet to be confirmed by other sources.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told news agency TASS that he had "never seen or heard" of such information.

In 2014, shortly after the annexation of Crimea to Russia and the beginning of the conflict in the Donbas, Interior Ministry employees, as well as employees of other security agencies, were forbidden from travelling abroad. Officially, this ban was presented as a recommendation.