Russia’s Transport Minister Found Dead Hours After Dismissal By Putin

Russia’s Transport Minister, Roman Starovoit, has been found dead from a gunshot injury in what investigators were treating as apparent suicide, just hours after the Kremlin announced his dismissal.

No reason was given for Starovoit’s removal, which was made public on Monday morning.

The 53-year-old had served as transport minister since May 2024, following a stint as governor of the Kursk region.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Starovoit’s body was discovered in his car in Odintsovo, a suburb west of Moscow known for housing members of Russia’s political and business elite.

A firearm, reportedly a ceremonial gift, was found beside him. Spokesperson of the Committee, Svetlana Petrenko said a criminal investigation has been launched with suicide currently seen as the most probable cause of his death.

No specific time of death was disclosed.

Russian media have linked Starovoit’s dismissal to an ongoing probe into alleged embezzlement of federal funds earmarked for military fortifications in the Kursk region.

The supposed misappropriation has been blamed for gaps in Russia’s defensive lines, which failed to repel a surprise Ukrainian incursion in August 2024.

That attack saw Ukrainian mechanised units overrun Russian forces, leading to the capture of hundreds of conscripts and border guards.

It marked the first time since World War II that a foreign force had occupied Russian territory.

Although Russian forces announced the full recapture of the area in April, the episode remains a point of strategic and symbolic embarrassment for the Kremlin.

Starovoit’s successor as governor of Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, resigned in December and was arrested in April on similar embezzlement charges.

Reports suggested that Starovoit may have also faced investigation in connection with the case.

His dismissal came just after a weekend of major air travel disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, which grounded hundreds of flights across Russian airports.

While some speculated the chaos may have contributed to his removal, analysts noted that such disruptions have become increasingly routine and were unlikely to be the decisive factor.

An official presidential decree announcing Starovoit’s dismissal was published on the Kremlin’s website Monday morning, without explanation.

Shortly before news of his death emerged, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the reason for the dismissal but praised Starovoit’s successor, Andrei Nikitin, who had been serving as deputy transport minister.