Russia’s Ex-Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt Found Dead Hours After Dismissal From Putin Govt

Roman Starovoyt, Russia's former Transport Minister and a prominent political figure, was found dead on Monday, hours after being dismissed from his post by President Vladimir Putin.

According to a statement by the Investigative Committee of Russia, the 53-year-old was found in his car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district near Moscow. "Investigators are working at the scene to establish all circumstances of the incident," a spokesperson said, adding that preliminary evidence points to suicide.

Starovoyt's sudden death comes amid a period of growing scrutiny over his political career. He was appointed Transport Minister in May 2024 following Putin's re-election and had served for just over a year. His dismissal was confirmed in a presidential decree released on the Kremlin's website earlier Monday, which did not provide a reason for his removal.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov emphasized that Starovoyt was not dismissed due to a "loss of trust," clarifying that such a phrase was not included in the official decree. Still, speculation over the circumstances has been mounting.

According to the business daily Vedomosti, government insiders revealed that plans to replace Starovoyt had been underway for several months. The decision may be linked to Starovoyt's controversial tenure as governor of Russia's border-region Kursk, which he led from 2018 to 2024.

The Kursk region came under intense scrutiny after a Ukrainian military incursion in August 2024 exposed weaknesses in its border defenses. While Starovoyt was never formally accused of wrongdoing, his successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, and former deputy Alexei Dedov were arrested earlier this year for allegedly misusing funds intended for fortification and defense. Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that both had testified against Starovoyt in recent weeks.

Political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko called Starovoyt's dismissal "predictable," linking it directly to the fallout from the Kursk situation.

Deputy Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin has been named acting minister. President Putin met with Nikitin shortly after the appointment, instructing him to focus on resolving key challenges in the sector. Nikitin, who previously served as governor of Novgorod until earlier this year, joined the transport ministry in February.