On July 1, Sergey Melikov, the Head of Dagestan, commented on Dagestan's friends and foes. 

Melikov stated that Dagestanis had shown absolute maturity and steadfast devotion to the values of peace and goodness. He emphasized that the republic's civil society is healthy, united as never before, and upholding the right universal values.

However, Melikov noted that offensive statements about the republic have not ceased during this time. "They accuse us of radicalism, mix criminals with all believers, see signs of terror in niqabs, and make publicly imprudent, even dangerous, comments. You can't call it anything but harassment. It's as if the whole of Dagestan and the civil authorities in my person have been made responsible for the bandits from whom we have already suffered and with whom each of us is ready to fight to the last bullet. Of course, this cannot lead to appeasement—as if some high spokesmen deliberately aim to aggravate the situation. What kind of social experiment are they trying to put over our republic? Why are they pushing us into a dark abyss?" Melikov stated. He advised all 'experts' on Dagestan to study history to open their eyes.

According to Melikov, attempts to link the terrorist attack to last year's events at the airport also seemed strange. "Criminal cases against the rioters were transferred to the Krasnodar region precisely to exclude the subjective factor. The strange, uncoordinated statements by some State Duma MPs about returning the cases to Dagestan are completely inappropriate. I am against this, as well as against anyone interfering in the work of special structures," Melikov said.

During a meeting with representatives of civil society institutions in Makhachkala, the head of Dagestan reported that the number of dead from the June 23 militant attack in Dagestan had increased to 22. "To our great regret, 22 people died as a result of the terrorist attacks: 21 directly during the terrorist attacks, and one police officer died the next day from severe wounds," Melikov stated.

He noted that the terrorist attacks in Dagestan occurred the day after the country's residents mourned the anniversary of the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. "The terrorist attacks killed 22 people—17 law enforcement officers and five civilians. These events have once again made us realize that the enemy intends to destabilize the situation in the country and Dagestan," Melikov emphasized.