Ilyumzhinov, who is also president of the World Chess Federation, was traveling in a convoy on Rublyovka-Uspenskoe Shosse on Moscow's western outskirts when the Mercedes he was riding in was struck by a Ford Focus at an intersection at about 11 a.m. Wednesday, traffic police spokeswoman Marina Vasilyeva said.
Vasilyeva said Ilyumzhinov suffered "some sort of head injury" but that she was unsure how serious it was.
She said she had no information on the condition of the female driver of the Ford or the other people in Ilyumzhinov's car and that she did not know who was at fault.
Ilyumzhinov's spokesman, Buyancha Galzanov, told RIA-Novosti that the Kalmykia president was showing no "life-threatening symptoms" and had suffered "no serious consequences."
The driver of the Ford, identified by Gazeta.ru as Lyudmila Zimenko, 21, later suffered from dizziness and went to the hospital, the web site reported Wednesday.
Ilyumzhinov was being treated at the Central Clinical Hospital, Vasilyeva said.
Citing city traffic police sources, Interfax reported that the driver failed to yield to a traffic police officer who had halted cars at the intersection to allow Ilyumzhinov's motorcade to pass. Vasilyeva said she could not confirm this account.
Reached by telephone by Gazeta.ru, Zimenko's mother said her daughter was certain she was not at fault in the accident.
"Why was the president taken to an ambulance and provided first aid, but for my daughter nothing like this was done?" Gazeta.ru cited Zimenko's mother as saying. The mother's name was not given in the report.
In footage shown on NTV television Wednesday evening, Ilyumzhinov's smashed-up black Mercedes did not appear to be equipped with a migalka, the flashing blue siren commonly placed atop officials' cars that allow them the right of way in just about any situation.
Drivers around the country have held grassroots demonstrations in recent years to protest the sirens, which they say epitomize government disregard for citizens and make the country's roads more dangerous.
Ilyumzhinov had been scheduled to fly to Dresden, Germany, on Wednesday for the 38th Chess Olympiad, RIA-Novosti reported.
Ilyumzhinov has been president of the World Chess Federation, known by its French acronym, FIDE, since 1995. He has been president of Kalmykia since 1993.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.