Russia’s emergency situations minister dies in Arctic drill

By DARIA LITVINOVA
Associated Press

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry says its chief has died during drills. The ministry said Wednesday in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that 55-year-old Yevgeny Zinichev “tragically died in the line of duty during inter-agency exercises to protect the Arctic zone from emergency situations, while saving a person’s life.” The ministry didn’t offer any details about where or how he died. Russian media said he was trying to rescue a cameraman who had fallen into the water. Zinichev became the head of Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry in 2018 and before that was part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal security detail.