3 February: Snow Halts Trams, Causes 40-km Jam

On 3 February, Rostov Oblast continued to deal with the aftermath of the snowfall that had occurred the day before. Uncleared roads caused numerous traffic jams and transport disruptions.

At night, air defense forces in the Kamensky District (Rostov Oblast) repelled an attack by unmanned aerial vehicles. No information on casualties or damage was reported.

Due to severe weather conditions, tram routes in Rostov-on-Don were temporarily suspended, and buses were rerouted. On the M-4 Don federal highway towards Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, traffic was congested throughout the day, forming a 40-kilometer traffic jam.

Pyotr Zhilkin, who confessed to the murder of 9-year-old Pavel in St. Petersburg, turned out to be a former resident of Rostov Oblast. Although he was born in Luhansk Oblast, he lived in the Don region until 2010. Some media outlets reported that Zhilkin had multiple prior convictions.

The TV channel STS and the animation studio Melnitsa have filed lawsuits against the Rostov bakery chain Gridnev-Khleb. The defendant is accused of using the characters Nudik from the animated series «Three Cats» and Luntik without permission.

As part of the reconstruction of Vavilova Street, the Rostov authorities will purchase another large land plot with two buildings on it. A court issued the corresponding decision, which will significantly increase the cost of the road expansion project.

In the released case materials of American financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sex trafficking, a letter from a resident of Rostov-on-Don was found. The author«s name and gender are not disclosed; the message discusses plans to travel to Rostov and meet with family.

Igor Khokhlov, former general director of JSC Gorizont, a company producing unmanned aerial systems, is suspected of abusing his authority while fulfilling a state defense order. He has given a confession, and his property has been seized.

A dispute erupted on social media after the closure of the popular Rostov coffee shop Setter«s. Former owner of the chain, Stanislav Zatonsky, claimed that the new owner, Vladimir Bektemirov, did not understand the concept, leading to the loss of the core audience. Bektemirov disagreed with these claims.

Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, ordered a criminal case to be opened regarding an icicle falling on a pensioner in Rostov. The incident occurred on 31 January when the woman was walking on the sidewalk. The victim was taken to the hospital.