Water shortages and ex-mayor case dominate Rostov region news
Water disappeared in three cities and two districts of the Rostov region. The head of the regional State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GAI) quit. And the northern lights appeared over the region. Read on for more on what happened in the Don region this week.
Criminal case and Sergey Gorban
Former vice-governor and head of Rostov, Sergey Gorban, became a suspect in a criminal case related to the construction of the Gukovo-Gundorovsky water pipeline in 2011–2012. According to a 161.RU source in law enforcement, the ex-official is being sought for questioning and interrogation. He has not been officially declared wanted yet.
Cities without water
On January 15, residents of Gukovo, Zverevo, and settlements in the Kamensky and Krasnosulinsky districts were left without water due to a water pipeline accident. The regional Investigative Committee launched an inspection. And on January 20, the chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, ordered a criminal case to be opened. It turned out water was even scarce in stores, and residents were standing in queues at water tankers. On January 21, water was cut off in the entire city of Novoshakhtinsk — also due to an accident. The water problem in the Don cities attracted the attention of President Vladimir Putin.
Drone in Leventsovka
The entrance of an apartment building in Rostov«s Leventsovka district, where a drone crashed, was at risk of collapsing. But residents were promised a chance to retrieve documents and valuables. The authorities kept their promise — on January 20, Rostov residents started being let in. But they were not allowed to stay at home, as mentioned earlier.
Nature
In 2026, the flow into the Don River in the Rostov region may reach half the normal level. And that«s even good. Because 2025 had the lowest figure in the last 80 years.
Meanwhile, salinization in the Don delta has reached such a level that jellyfish from the Sea of Azov can now live there.
On January 20, a powerful magnetic storm hit Earth due to a major solar flare. Its level was rated G4. Only G5 is higher — an extreme storm. Because of this, the northern lights were visible over the Rostov region.
City
In Rostov, they want to redesign traffic between Madoyan and Dovator streets. But for that, they first need to build a proper road on Lentochaya Street.
A modular clinic will be commissioned for the Suvorovsky microdistrict in Rostov. It has long been promised to residents. They are currently looking for a contractor. The maximum state contract price is 270 million rubles (approximately $3 million at current rates).
The Rostov region authorities have for the first time set rates for paid parking. They can be viewed here.
In Rostov, the cafe «Lyusya Vparke» closed, which sparked legal disputes between authorities and the tenant of Pleven Park. A notice on the door says it«s temporarily closed. But in a conversation with a 161.RU correspondent, the owner said there is no exact reopening date yet.
What else?
FC Rostov in its first match of the year crushed the Chinese team Chengdu Rongcheng. The friendly match took place at a training camp in the UAE and ended 3–0.
On June 27, the third concert ever will be held at Rostov Arena. The band «Ruki Vverkh!» (Hands Up!) will perform. The cheapest ticket costs 3,100 rubles (about $34 at current rates), and the most expensive — 34 thousand rubles (about $378 at current rates).
On the morning of January 20, three people burned to death in a Renault Duster after the foreign car collided with a MAZ truck. A 4-year-old child was hospitalized. It was later revealed that the driver of the passenger car during an overtaking maneuver failed to ensure its safety. A criminal case was initiated.
Oleg Bagun quit as head of the Don Regional State Traffic Safety Inspectorate of the Rostov region. He will head a similar department in the Krasnodar region.
