All Traffic Restrictions Lifted In Russia's Rostov Region - Emergency Services

Faizan Hashmi Published June 25, 2023 | 01:50 PM

ROSTOV-ON-DON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 25th June, 2023) ON-DON, Russia, June 25 (Sputnik) - All traffic restrictions along the highways of Russia's Rostov region have been lifted, a regional emergency services official said on Sunday.

Earlier on Sunday, Rostov regional Governor Vasily Golubev said that members of the Wagner Group private military company (PMC) left Rostov and are headed for field camps.

"The traffic is open," the official told reporters, specifying that it applies to all highways and entries to the region.

On Saturday, the authorities restricted entry to Rostov region from Krasnodar and Stavropol territories. There were no restrictions on exit from the Rostov region.

On Friday, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) opened a criminal case for inciting armed mutiny over statements made on behalf of Wagner Group's head Yevgeny Prigozhin. The FSB said that there was a threat of escalation on Russian territory. The Russian Defense Ministry said that social media reports of alleged Russian military strikes on PMC Wagner camps were not true.

Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered a televised address to the nation on Saturday in which he described the actions of the Wagner Group PMC as an armed mutiny and treason, and promised harsh measures against the insurgents.

Later that day, the Belarusian presidential office said that Prigozhin accepted the proposal of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to stop the movement of Wagner troops in Russia and take further steps to de-escalate the situation. Prigozhin later confirmed the information, saying that Wagner troops were returning back to their field camps.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Saturday evening that the criminal case against Prigozhin would be terminated and he would leave for Belarus under guarantees given by Putin. The spokesman added that members of the Wagner PMC who were involved in the Saturday events would not be prosecuted given their distinguished service during Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.