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The Herald
08-07-2025
- Business
- The Herald
Sacked Russian transport minister found dead in his car with gunshot wound
A pistol belonging to Starovoit, who was divorced with two daughters, was found near his body, Russian media outlets cited law enforcement sources as saying. Some Russian media, citing law enforcement sources, said his body had been found with a gunshot wound to the head in bushes near his car, a Tesla, rather than in the car itself. The vehicle was left near a park not far from his home in the Moscow region. Before being appointed transport minister in May 2024, Starovoit had been governor of the Kursk region for nearly five years. Three months after he became transport minister, Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Kursk in the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since World War 2 and were only pushed out earlier this year after fierce fighting and widespread destruction. In April this year, Starovoit's successor as governor and his former deputy, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes amid accusations that funds intended for border defences had been stolen, leaving Kursk more vulnerable to Ukrainian attack. Russian media outlets reported on Monday that Smirnov had told state investigators Starovoit had also been in on the fraud. Reuters could not confirm that, and a lawyer for Smirnov, who has pleaded not guilty to embezzlement, told the state RIA news agency he couldn't comment. Starovoit's dismissal comes at a time of significant challenges for Russia's transport sector as the war in Ukraine drags on for a fourth year. Russia's aviation sector is short of spare parts and Russian Railways, the country's largest employer, is grappling with soaring interest costs as high rates, needed to curb higher inflation worsened by the war, take their toll. Long-range Ukrainian drones also frequently force Russian airports to suspend their activities for safety reasons, sometimes causing major disruption. The Kremlin said Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, had been appointed acting transport minister, and published photographs of him shaking hands with Putin in the Kremlin. Asked about Nikitin's swift appointment, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin thought Nikitin had the right professional qualities and experience for the job. The transport ministry declined to comment. At his meeting with Putin, Nikitin spoke about working to digitise Russia's transport industry to reduce cargo bottlenecks and ensure smoother cross-border flows of goods. Reuters
Al Jazeera
08-07-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Russia probes ex-minister's death as body found hours after sacking
Russia's top criminal investigation agency is probing the death of Roman Starovoit, a former transport minister whose body was found with a gunshot wound near his car, hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his post. Authorities on Monday said the 53-year-old politician's body was discovered near a Tesla vehicle abandoned near a park in the Moscow region, with a pistol, registered in Starovoit's name, located nearby. The Investigative Committee has opened a case to determine the full circumstances of his death, suggesting it could be suicide. Russian media, citing law enforcement sources, said the gunshot appeared to be self-inflicted. However, the timing of the death has prompted speculation. Putin issued a decree earlier on Monday, removing Starovoit as transport minister, a role he had held for just more than a year. No explanation was provided. Political commentators quickly linked the decision to a long-running corruption investigation in the Kursk region, where Starovoit previously served as governor. The probe centres on whether 19.4 billion roubles ($246m) allocated in 2022 to bolster border defences in Kursk were embezzled. The funds were meant to reinforce Russia's frontier with Ukraine, but Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border assault into the region three months into Starovoit's ministerial term – the largest such incursion since World War II. In April, his successor and former deputy in Kursk, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling defence funds. Several Russian outlets reported on Monday that Smirnov, who denies wrongdoing, had told investigators Starovoit was also involved in the alleged fraud. The incident casts a shadow over Russia's transport sector, already grappling with wartime pressures. Western sanctions have left the aviation industry struggling for spare parts, while soaring interest rates have pushed Russian Railways – the country's largest employer – into financial strain. Meanwhile, Ukraine's drone attacks continue to disrupt domestic air traffic, forcing temporary airport closures and leading to logistical uncertainty. Following Starovoit's dismissal, the Kremlin announced that Andrei Nikitin, former governor of the Novgorod region, had been appointed as acting transport minister. Photographs released by state media showed him shaking hands with Putin. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin believed Nikitin had the necessary experience to steer the ministry through current challenges. At his meeting with the president, Nikitin pledged to modernise the sector by boosting digital infrastructure to improve cargo flows and cross-border trade.
Irish Times
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Russian minister found dead from gunshot wound hours after being relieved of duties
Russia 's transport minister, who previously served as governor of the Kursk region, was found dead in his car from a gunshot wound, Russian authorities said on Monday, hours after the Kremlin announced he had been relieved of his duties. Law enforcement authorities said they were investigating the death as a possible suicide. Roman Starovoyt (53) oversaw the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine , for 6½ years before becoming transport minister in May 2024. Three months after his promotion, Kyiv invaded the region and seized a swath of territory that the Ukrainian military held until Russian troops ousted them in April this year. The months-long Ukrainian occupation of Russian land was the first invasion of Russian territory since the second World War. It was an embarrassment to Russian president Vladimir Putin and set off domestic recriminations that in recent months have gathered steam. Russian authorities have arrested former officials from the Kursk region and accused them of embezzling funds that Moscow had earmarked to fortify the border with Ukraine during Mr Starovoyt's tenure as governor. In April, his successor and longtime deputy, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested and accused of embezzlement as part of the case. Smirnov served as the acting Kursk governor at the time of the Ukrainian invasion. Svetlana Petrenko, the spokesperson for Russia's Investigative Committee, a national law-enforcement body, said in a statement that Mr Starovoyt's body was found in his car in Odintsovo, an affluent area outside Moscow. Authorities were working to establish the circumstances of the death, Ms Petrenko said, noting that it was suspected he had died by suicide. The Kremlin posted a decree on Monday morning, signed by President Putin, that said Mr Starovoyt had been relieved of his duties. Mr Putin then met publicly with the minister's chosen successor, Andrei Nikitin, the former governor of the Novgorod region. The Kremlin has not commented on Mr Starovoyt's death. This article originally appeared in The New York Times . 2025 The New York Times Company
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Russia's ex-minister found dead hours after being fired, investigators believe he killed himself
Russian 's transport minister was found dead Monday, hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, in what officials called an apparent suicide. Roman Starovoyt, who served as Russia's transport minister since May 2024, was fired in a presidential decree earlier in the day. Hours later, the body of Starovoyt, 53, was found in his car with a gunshot wound, according to Russia's Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency. A criminal probe has been launched into Starovoyt's death and investigators see suicide as the most likely cause, according to committee's spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. Russian media have reported that Starovoyt's dismissal could have been linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of state funds allocated for building fortifications in the Kursk region where he served as governor before being appointed transportation minister. The alleged embezzlement has been named as one of the reasons behind deficiencies in Russia's defensive lines that failed to stem a Ukrainian incursion in the region that was launched in August 2024. Starovoyt's successor as Kursk governor, Alexei Smirnov, stepped down in December and was arrested on embezzlement charges in April. Some Russian media have alleged that Starovoyt also could have faced charges as part of the investigation. Starovoyt's dismissal also followed a weekend of travel chaos as Russian airports were forced to ground hundreds of flights due to Ukrainian drone attacks. An official order releasing Starovoyt from his post was published on the Kremlin's website Monday morning. It did not give a reason for his dismissal from the post, which Starovoyt has held since May 2024. Shortly before the news about Starovoyt's death broke, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the reasons behind his dismissal.
BreakingNews.ie
07-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Russian minister found dead hours after being sacked by Putin
Russian's transport minister has been found dead, hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, in what officials called an apparent suicide. Roman Starovoyt, who had served as transport minister since May 2024, was fired in a presidential decree earlier in the day. Advertisement Hours later, the body of Mr Starovoyt, 53, was found in his car with a gunshot wound, according to Russia's Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency. A criminal probe has been launched into Mr Starovoyt's death and investigators see suicide as the most likely cause, according to committee's spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko. Roman Starovoyt is thought to have committed suicide (Dmitry Astakhov/AP) Russian media have reported that Mr Starovoyt's dismissal could have been linked to an investigation into the embezzlement of state funds allocated for building fortifications in the Kursk region where he served as governor before being appointed transport minister. The alleged embezzlement has been named as one of the reasons behind deficiencies in Russia's defensive lines that failed to stem a Ukrainian incursion in the region that was launched in August 2024. Advertisement Mr Starovoyt's successor as Kursk governor, Alexei Smirnov, stepped down in December and was arrested on embezzlement charges in April. Some in the Russian media have alleged that Mr Starovoyt also could have faced charges as part of the investigation. Mr Starovoyt's dismissal also followed a weekend of travel chaos as Russian airports were forced to ground hundreds of flights due to Ukrainian drone attacks. An official order releasing Mr Starovoyt from his post was published on the Kremlin's website on Monday morning. It did not give a reason for his dismissal. Advertisement Shortly before the news about Mr Starovoyt's death broke, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on the reasons behind his dismissal. Mr Peskov praised Mr Starovoyt's replacement, Andrei Nikitin, who was appointed deputy transport minister five months ago.
