Putin Accepts Resignation of Long-Serving Governor

(Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin accepted the sudden resignation on Monday of one of Russia's longest-serving governors, Vyacheslav Golubev, who headed the Rostov region, which has been plagued by Ukrainian drone attacks and where Wagner Group forces initiated a brief mutiny.

The Rostov region, located about 1,000 kms (622 miles) south of Moscow, shares a border with Ukraine. Kyiv, which has conducted several drone strikes on oil depots there, asserts that Rostov is crucial for storing petroleum products for Russian forces engaged in the conflict in Ukraine.

Putin accepted Golubev's resignation “at his own request,” according to a statement from the Kremlin.

Golubev had overseen the region since 2010, making him one of the longest-serving governors in Russia today. In a post on his Telegram messaging app, he remarked that he resigned “due to a transfer to another job,” although he did not provide further details. TASS state news agency reported that Golubev's press service denied claims circulating on Telegram that security services searched Golubev's office following his resignation.

Putin promptly appointed Yuri Slyusar, a 50-year-old local, as interim governor, instructing him to address the region’s critical issues during a meeting. Slyusar previously served as the CEO of Russia's state-owned aerospace and defense firm, the United Aircraft Corporation.

The Rostov region, home to over 4.2 million residents, is also a significant agricultural hub, contributing approximately 10% of Russia's total grain harvest last year.

In August, a drone attack from Ukraine ignited a fire at an oil depot in the Kamensky district of the region, which took weeks to extinguish.

Notably, in June 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the late leader of the mercenary Wagner Group, seized control of Rostov-on-Don, the region's administrative center, in a fleeting mutiny that initiated a march towards Moscow before retreating.