Russia’s former Transport Minister, Roman Starovoit, was found dead with a gunshot wound in his car in a Moscow suburb on Monday, hours after being sacked by President Vladimir Putin, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee. The committee stated that the primary theory is suicide, though an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances of his death.
Starovoit, 53, was dismissed from his role as Transport Minister earlier on Monday, a position he had held since May 2024. No official reason was provided for his dismissal in the presidential decree, which also announced Andrei Nikitin, former governor of the Novgorod region, as acting Transport Minister. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied speculation that Starovoit’s sacking was due to a “loss of trust,” stating, “There is no such wording in the decree.”
Before his tenure as Transport Minister, Starovoit served as governor of the Kursk region from 2018 to 2024, a period marked by significant challenges, including a Ukrainian incursion into the region in August 2024—the largest foreign incursion into Russian territory since World War II. Russian forces only recently expelled Ukrainian troops from Kursk. Starovoit’s successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested in April 2025 on charges of embezzling funds allocated for border fortifications, leaving the region vulnerable to attack.
Russian media, including the newspaper *Kommersant*, reported that Starovoit was under investigation in connection with the same corruption case, with some sources suggesting he faced potential arrest. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma’s Defence Committee, told Russian outlet RTVI that Starovoit’s death occurred “quite a while ago,” though the precise timeline remains unconfirmed.
Starovoit’s death coincides with significant disruptions in Russia’s transport sector, including the cancellation of 485 flights and delays to 1,900 others over the weekend, attributed to Ukrainian drone attacks. An ammonia leak from an explosion aboard a Russian tanker at the Ust-Luga port on Monday further compounded the crisis.
The Kremlin has not commented on the specifics of Starovoit’s death, and the investigation continues.
Note For Readers:
The CEO handles all legal and staff issues. Claiming human help before the first hearing isn't part of our rules.
Our system uses humans and AI, including freelance journalists, editors, and reporters.
The CEO can confirm if your issue involves a person or AI.
by 
