Both the Kremlin and the government were outraged by the closure of borders between the regions

Earlier, the head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, announced the complete closure of the republic for entry and exit on April 5. It was reported that land and air traffic are limited, in urgent cases the issue will be resolved individually using charter flights. On April 2, the press service of the UGIBDD GUMVD in the Chelyabinsk Region also reported that cars from other regions of Russia are now banned in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection. An exception is made only for the following machines in transit and for delivering food and basic necessities.

Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said that regional governors should take adequate measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, but not confuse regional powers with federal ones, RIA Novosti reports :

- Once again I want to appeal to the leaders of the subjects. Any restrictions must be adequate and appropriate to the real situation. And of course, the measures introduced by the president and the federal government.

The head of government recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin, by his decree, gave the heads of the regions additional powers so that each of them could determine the best regime of restrictive measures for a particular territory and "in general, most of the leaders coped with this work." However, in some places the possibility of such restrictions was understood too broadly and began to close administrative borders with neighbors, preventing the passage of people and vehicles to their territory. "Signals from the government about the inadmissibility of such measures were heard. Over the weekend, the situation has improved," Mikhail Mishustin said.

Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov noted that the regions independently decide on measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, but all actions are taken in coordination with the government of the Russian Federation. According to Peskov, the regions are authorized to determine the “degree of the isolation regime that is necessary” to protect citizens and the economy.

- Some measures are excessive - like closing the borders of some regions - today were criticized by the chairman of the government. In addition, particular attention was paid to the regions on the inadmissibility of the transport chain breaks, the inadmissibility of hindering freight transport - leads words Peskov "Kommersant".

A Kremlin spokesman called the introduction of regional restrictions "a fine-tuning issue."

- This is a dynamic process. In the regions, the situation is developing differently, and some regions are opening some kind of production, the economy is in a more mobile state. Somewhere, on the contrary, the situation requires more isolation, ”said Peskov.

“In our later economic history, this already happened. In the early 90s, the heads of municipalities put up barriers at the entrance to their territories and demanded something from passing people. This definitely worsens the situation in the regions. Internal customs in the Russian state were canceled even under the empress Elizaveta Petrovna, ”said Alexander Savchenko, director of the Center for Situation Monitoring and Regional Studies of the RANEPA, in an interview with Radio Sputnik .