Don Traffic Police Chief Resigns, Bastrykin Orders Criminal Case
On January 20, the Don region's traffic police chief resigned, and Alexander Bastrykin ordered a criminal case over a pipeline accident that left residents without water. Here are the day's other key events in the Rostov region.
Jan 24, 2026 0
Residents of the Don region formed long queues like this one to receive delivered water.
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Yesterday, January 20, the head of the Don region«s State Traffic Inspectorate (GAI) left his post, and Alexander Bastrykin ordered a criminal case to be opened over an accident on a Don pipeline. Here»s what else happened that day.
On the night of January 20, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked the Chertkovsky, Milyutinsky, Sholokhovsky, Kasharsky, Sovetsky, and Tatsinsky districts. No information on the consequences has been received.
Residents have begun to be allowed into the entrance of a high-rise building in the Leventsovsky microdistrict of Rostov, where a UAV struck on January 14, so they can retrieve documents and valuables.
Oleg Bogun, the head of the Don region«s State Traffic Inspectorate, has left his post. According to a 161.RU source, he will now head the traffic police department of the Krasnodar Krai.
Alexander Bastrykin, head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, ordered a criminal case to be opened over an accident on a Don pipeline: residents of Gukovo, Zverevo, and towns in the Krasnosulinsky and Kamensky districts were without water for five days. Stores ran out of water. Deliveries were also insufficient — huge lines formed for water.
The Botanical Garden of the Southern Federal University (SFU) will create a special nursery to begin breeding plants for the landscaping of Rostov. These will be species resistant to the local climate.
The authorities announced the purchase of a modular building to house a polyclinic in the Suvorovsky microdistrict for 270 million rubles (about $2.7 million at current rates). It was supposed to be built back in 2025.
In the five-story building at Voroshilovsky, 101 in Rostov, normal heating has still not been restored after an accident at CHPP-2, which occurred on December 15. The temperature in apartments can drop to 16°C (61°F).
On the night of January 20, residents of the Don region saw a very rare phenomenon for southern Russia — the northern lights. It occurred due to a solar flare, after which the region was hit by a strong magnetic storm.
Restaurateurs and HoReCa market experts shared what will happen to Rostov«s restaurant business and whether to expect a mass closure of cafes and bars.
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