MoscowHours after being fired by President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s transport minister was discovered dead Monday in what authorities described as an apparent suicide.
Earlier in the day, a presidential decree dismissed Roman Starovoyt, who had been Russia’s transport minister since May 2024.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top criminal investigation body, reported that the 53-year-old Starovoyt’s body was discovered in his car with a gunshot wound hours later.
According to committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, a criminal investigation has been opened into Starovoyt’s death, and investigators believe suicide to be the most likely cause.
According to Russian media, Starovoyt’s termination might have been related to an inquiry into the theft of public funds intended for fortification construction in the Kursk region, where he was governor before to being named minister of transportation.
The purported misappropriation has been cited as one of the causes of Russia’s defense line weaknesses that prevented a Ukrainian invasion of the area in August 2024.
Alexei Smirnov, who succeeded Starovoyt as governor of Kursk, resigned in December and was detained in April on suspicion of embezzlement. According to some Russian media, Starovoyt might have been charged as part of the probe.
Starovoyt’s termination also came after a chaotic travel weekend in which hundreds of aircraft were forced to be grounded at Russian airports because of Ukrainian drone assaults.
On Monday morning, the Kremlin’s website posted an official order removing Starovoyt from his position. His termination from the position, which Starovoyt had held since May 2024, was not explained.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the reasons for Starovoyt’s termination just prior to the news of his passing.
Andrei Nikitin, Starovoyt’s replacement who was named deputy minister of transportation five months ago, received praise from Peskov.
