Russia: Minister found dead hours after being fired by Putin – DW – 07/07/2025
Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoyt was found dead just hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him, Russian news agencies reported on Monday.
Starovoyt reportedly shot himself in a Moscow suburb after the announcement of his sacking. The Investigative Committee said his body was found in a car.
The news emerged after it was revealed Russian President Vladimir Putin has sacked 53-year-old Starovoit, in an unexpected move.
"Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district," the Investigative Committee said in a statement. "The main version [considered] is suicide," it added.
A decree published in Moscow gave no reason for Starovoit leaving his post.
The former governor of the western Russian region of Kursk had been appointed transport minister in May last year.
Starovoit's deputy, Andrey Nikitin, has been appointed acting transport minister.
His successor as governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, has been detained for alleged fraud.
Ukrainian troops captured dozens of villages in the region in August last year, delivering a temporary but embarrassing setback for the Russian army.
Smirnov, who became governor in May 2024, quit in December after Ukrainian troops invaded. The case against him alleges that funds meant for building fortifications on the border with Ukraine were misused.
These fortifications have been under construction since 2022, shortly after Putin ordered Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Starovoit previously stated these facilities were completed, but no investigations against Starovoit are known at this time.
Russian commentators have also pointed to chaos at airports as a possible factor in his dismissal, with hundreds of flights canceled because of frequent Ukrainian drone attacks during the holiday season.
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