MoscowHours after the Kremlin declared that Russian President Vladimir Putin had fired him, authorities reported Monday that the country’s transport minister had been found dead from a gunshot wound in what appeared to be a suicide.
Roman Starovoit, who had been minister of transportation since May 2024, was fired by the Kremlin without providing an explanation, and it was not known when he passed away or whether his death was connected to an inquiry into suspected corruption, as some Russian media reported.
The death of 53-year-old Starovoit was discovered with a gunshot wound in his car parked in Odintsovo, a district just west of the capital where many members of Russia’s elite reside, according to the country’s top criminal investigation body, the Investigative Committee. According to reports, a rifle that had been given to him as an official gift was discovered near to his body.
According to committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, who did not specify Starovoit’s death date, a criminal investigation was opened into the death, and detectives determined that suicide was the most likely cause.
On Monday night, law enforcement officers were observed removing Starovoit’s body from the scene.
Starovoit killed himself a long time ago, according to Andrei Kartapolov, a former deputy defense minister who leads a defense committee in the lower house of parliament. Some Russian media claimed that Starovoit may have committed suicide prior to the release of Putin’s decree dismissing him. On Sunday morning, Starovoit was last seen in public when he was shown receiving reports from authorities on an official video taken from the ministry’s situation room.
There is conjecture on the reasons for Starovoit’s termination.
According to Russian media, Starovoit’s termination might have been related to an inquiry into the theft of public funds intended for fortification construction in the Kursk area, where he was governor before to being appointed minister of transportation.
The purported misappropriation has been referenced as one of the causes of Russia’s defensive line weaknesses that prevented a surprise August 2024 Ukrainian invasion of the area. Lightly armed Russian border guards and unskilled army conscripts were swiftly overpowered by Ukraine’s battle-hardened mechanized battalions in the spectacular offensive. They captured hundreds of people.
For the first time since World War II, an invader had taken over the nation’s territory, dealing a devastating blow to the Kremlin.
Nearly nine months after losing portions of the area, the Russian military declared in April that its forces had completely retaken the border territory.
Alexei Smirnov, who succeeded Starovoit as governor of Kursk, resigned in December and was detained in April on suspicion of embezzlement. According to some Russian media, Starovoit might have been charged as part of the probe.
Additionally, his termination came after a chaotic travel weekend in which hundreds of aircraft were grounded at Russian airports as a result of Ukrainian drone assaults.However, the majority of analysts stated that his dismissal was unlikely to have been caused by the air traffic delays, which have become commonplace due to frequent drone raids by Ukraine.
According to Russian press reports, Andrei Korneichuk, a representative of Putin’s ministry’s state railroads agency, passed away during a business meeting shortly after the publication of his decision on Starovoit. He reportedly passed away from what appeared to be a heart attack.
Additional high-profile corruption cases were pressed
On Monday morning, the Kremlin’s website posted an official order removing Starovoit from his position without providing an explanation.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hailed Andrei Nikitin, Starovoit’s replacement, just before the news of his passing came. He declined to comment on the reasons behind the decision.
Numerous high-level corruption cases that were largely attributed to military setbacks in Ukraine have been examined by Russian authorities.
Khalil Arslanov, a former deputy head of the military’s General Staff, was found guilty of corruption on Monday and given a 17-year prison sentence. Former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was close to Arslanov, a member of the military leadership. A comprehensive investigation into suspected military graft targeted a number of them.
Timur Ivanov, Shoigu’s former deputy, was sentenced to 13 years in prison last week after being found guilty of theft and money laundering.
After surviving the purges of his inner circle, Shoigu—a seasoned official with personal ties to Putin—was appointed secretary of the Russian Security Council, a prominent position.
The Investigative Committee also stated on Monday that Viktor Strigunov, the former first deputy chief of the National Guard, had been arrested. According to the report, Strigunov was accused of corruption and official misuse.
