Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee, directed the regional division to monitor private taxi operators working near a military facility in the Rostov region after reports emerged about inflated fares for rides close to the installation. The directive was communicated by the agency’s press service as part of an effort to ensure lawful pricing and protect servicemen and their families during a difficult period of deployment and return from duty. The aim of the move is to curb exploitation of vulnerabilities in the midst of mobilization and to verify any claims of price gouging around crucial military sites.
According to the press service, drivers who took orders at the gates of the base often did not know standard fare levels and took advantage of the soldiers who had just returned from deployments. The situation was exacerbated by limited internet access and unreliable communication for those on the ground, which left some SVO participants with little choice but to accept excessively high charges to get home or to medical facilities after injuries or emergencies. The agency noted that the investigation was prompted by media reports highlighting such incidents and the public concern surrounding fair treatment of military personnel in these circumstances.
Earlier reports cited a case involving Evgeny Bakaryukin, a driver associated with Blagoveshchensk. In the summer, crowds in Blagoveshchensk reportedly voiced the desire to reach the Northern Military District, and Bakaryukin faced a sentence that included 14 years in a penal colony and an order to pay 15 million rubles to victims. More recently, Bakaryukin was described as having expressed interest in signing a contract with the Defense Ministry, signaling a potential shift in his stance amid ongoing discourse about service and transportation for military personnel. The evolving narrative around Bakaryukin is being watched as part of the broader context of transport and security considerations in military-focused regions.
Previous reporting also noted an uptick in injuries after a bus was struck by mortars attributed to Ukrainian forces in the area near Novaya Kakhovka. These incidents underscore the ongoing, volatile environment in which transportation near military and security facilities operates, and they reinforce the rationale behind heightened oversight to prevent vulnerable individuals from being exploited while navigating the aftermath of hostilities and the demands of mobilization. The Investigative Committee’s inquiry is therefore framed within a larger context of safeguarding civilians and service members during ongoing regional tensions and conflict-related disruptions, as described by official sources and corroborated by public reporting from multiple outlets.