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The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Russian Transport Minister's death fuels speculation about harsher environment for Kremlin elites
The death of a Russian Cabinet Minister in a field near his posh home in a Moscow suburb has fuelled wild speculation about how he died and what it means. Among the unanswered questions: Did Roman Starovoit really kill himself in his car, as authorities said, or did he take his life in a nearby park? Was he facing a criminal investigation into large-scale corruption? And does his death signal a new, harsher environment for Kremlin elites related to the war in Ukraine? Russian media was abuzz with claims that Starovoit, who was found dead hours after being fired on Monday (July 7, 2025) by President Vladimir Putin, had faced potential corruption charges linked to his previous job as governor of the Kursk region, where Ukrainian forces staged a surprise incursion last year. His death drew quick comparisons to Soviet dictator Josef Stalin's purges in which some top Kremlin officials killed themselves rather than risk arrest. Starovoit's former Deputy, who succeeded him as Kursk Governor, was arrested in April on charges of embezzling state money allocated for building fortifications on the border with Ukraine, and Russian media reports claimed that he testified against his former boss. Russian authorities have not announced any criminal case against Starovoit. Observers say Starovoit's death highlighted the deepening rifts and tensions within the government as the full-scale war in Ukraine approaches its 3½-year mark. Tatiana Stanovaya of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center said members of Russian officialdom have found themselves increasingly trapped by the war environment, which 'has made the interests of once-influential figures look small" and made "everything subordinate to the harsh logic of the system's survival.' Suspicion arises over Minister's death Starovoit, who served as Transport Minister for just over a year, was found dead from a gunshot wound. He was 53. Controversy immediately surrounded the death. The Investigative Committee, the country's top criminal investigation agency, said Starovoit's body was found in his car in the Odintsovo district just west of the capital that is home to many members of the Russian elite. The committee said a criminal probe was launched and that investigators saw suicide as the most likely cause. But Russian media reported that his body was actually found in the bushes near a parking lot where he left his Tesla, and authorities allowed reporters to record morgue workers carrying it from the site. A pistol presented to him as an official gift was at his side. It was unclear when he died. The Investigative Committee did not offer a time of death, and some media outlets claimed that he killed himself over the weekend. When the first unconfirmed reports about Starovoit's death emerged on Monday afternoon, lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov told news outlet RTVI that Starovoit killed himself 'quite a while ago'. The business daily Kommersant quoted some of the Minister's associates as saying that he showed up in his office on Monday, just before Mr. Putin's decree dismissing him was published, and he later posted a farewell message on the Ministry's group chat. Some observers noted that it marked the first suicide by a Cabinet member since Soviet Interior Minister Boris Pugo killed himself after a botched hard-line coup in August 1991. Many also pointed out a string of recent mysterious suicides involving senior executives at Russian state oil and gas companies, including Andrei Badalov, vice president of the state-controlled Transneft oil pipeline operator, who reportedly fell from the window of his Moscow apartment last week. A cloud of doubt always hung over the official declarations that those deaths were suicides. Some commentators alleged that Starovoit's high-level connections might have feared that he would point the finger at them if arrested. The Kremlin called Starovoit's death 'tragic' but refrained from commenting on the circumstances. Corruption seen as key factor behind Russian military setbacks The alleged embezzlement scheme involving Kursk officials has been named as a key reason behind the Russian military's failure to stem the surprise August 2024 incursion into the region by Ukrainian troops. The attack dealt a humiliating blow to the Kremlin, and it took nearly nine months for the Russian military to reclaim the border territory. Starovoit's death and the corruption allegations in Kursk follow a string of corruption cases that have been widely blamed for Russian military setbacks in Ukraine. On July 1, former Deputy Defence Minister Timur Ivanov was convicted on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and sentenced to 13 years in prison. On Monday, Khalil Arslanov, a former Deputy Chief of the military's General Staff, was handed a 17-year sentence on corruption charges. They were among a dozen top military officials close to former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu who were targeted in a wide-ranging probe into alleged military graft. Mr. Shoigu, a veteran official who had personal ties to Mr. Putin, survived the purge of his inner circle and was given a high-profile post as secretary of Russia's Security Council. Mark Galeotti, an expert in Russian politics who heads the Mayak Intelligence consultancy, observed in a recent podcast that high-level corruption in Russia was getting worse because of the war. He warned that at some point in the future an 'angry patriot' could try to tell the public that the nation has 'been let down by this bunch of self-indulgent, self-interested, embezzling old men, and as a result, our boys died.' Starovoit was reportedly linked to the Rotenberg brothers, Mr. Putin's longtime personal friends who have extensive business interests in the transportation sphere. Many observers saw their failure to protect their protégé as a powerful new sign that old connections no longer work. 'The prospect of arrest is literally beginning to kill its representatives as the war is pushing the old criteria of the unforgivable wider,' said Mr. Stanovaya, of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre. Now anything that 'increases the vulnerability of the state to the enemy's hostile action must be punished without mercy or compromise.'
9 News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- 9 News
Russia's transportation minister found dead in what officials say was an apparent suicide
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here Russian's transport minister was found dead from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, investigators said — news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin . The Kremlin did not give a reason for the firing of Roman Starovoit, who served as transport minister since May 2024, and it was unclear when exactly he died and whether it was related to an investigation into alleged corruption, as some Russian media suggested. Russia's Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency, said the body of Starovoit, 53, was found with a gunshot wound in his car parked in Odintsovo, a neighbourhood just west of the capital where many members of Russia's elite live. A gun previously presented to him as an official gift was reportedly found next to his body. Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead after an apparent suicide. (AP) A criminal probe was launched into the death, and investigators saw suicide as the most likely cause, according to committee's spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, who did not say when Starovoit died. Law enforcement agents were seen carrying Starovoit's body from the site Monday evening. Andrei Kartapolov, a former deputy defence minister who heads a defence committee in the lower house of parliament, told news outlet RTVI that Starovoit killed himself "quite a while ago," and some Russian media alleged that he may have taken his life before the publication of Putin's decree firing him. Starovoit was last seen in public Sunday morning, when an official video from the ministry's situation room featured him receiving reports from officials. Russian media have reported that Starovoit'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 becoming transportation minister. The alleged embezzlement has been cited as one of the reasons for deficiencies in Russia's defensive lines that failed to stem a surprise Ukrainian incursion in the region launched in August 2024. In the stunning attack, Ukraine's battle-hardened mechanised units quickly overwhelmed lightly armed Russian border guards and inexperienced army conscripts. Hundreds were taken prisoner. The incursion was a humiliating blow to the Kremlin — the first time the country's territory was occupied by an invader since World War II. The Russian military had announced its troops had fully reclaimed the border territory in April — nearly nine months after losing chunks of the region. Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, meets with Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit at the Kremlin earlier this year. (AP) Starovoit'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 Starovoit also could have faced charges as part of the investigation. His dismissal also followed a weekend of travel chaos as Russian airports were forced to ground hundreds of flights due to Ukrainian drone attacks. Most commentators said, however, that the air traffic disruptions have become customary amid frequent Ukrainian drone raids and were unlikely to have triggered his dismissal. Shortly after Putin's decree on Starovoit was published, Andrei Korneichuk, an official with a state railways agency under his ministry, collapsed and died during a business meeting, Russian news reports said. They said he died of an apparent heart attack. An official order releasing Starovoit from his post was published on the Kremlin's website Monday morning without giving a reason for his dismissal. Shortly before the news of Starovoit's death broke, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Starovoit's replacement, Andrei Nikitin, and refused to comment on the reasons behind the move. Russian authorities have investigated a slew of cases of high-level corruption that was widely blamed for military setbacks in Ukraine. On Monday, Khalil Arslanov, a former deputy chief of the military's General Staff, was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Arslanov is a former member of the military brass close to former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Several of them were targeted in a far-ranging probe into alleged military graft. Last week, Shoigu's former deputy, Timur Ivanov, was convicted on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and handed a 13-year prison sentence. Shoigu, a veteran official with personal ties to Putin, survived the purges of his inner circle and was given the high-profile post of secretary of Russia's Security Council. In another move Monday, the Investigative Committee announced the arrest of Viktor Strigunov, the former first deputy chief of the National Guard. It said Strigunov was charged with corruption and abuse of office. Russia Vladimir Putin World Europe CONTACT US Auto news: Jaguar continues testing with controversial looks.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Ousted Putin minister dies in gunshot ‘suicide', adding to list of mystery deaths
Activist and former financier Sir William Browder, who revealed the Kremlin's torture and killing of its enemies in the book Red Notice, estimated that Putin amassed billions of dollars. Browder and other critics of the Kremlin responded with disbelief in March when Russian news agencies reported that another former Putin ally, Buvaisar Saitiev, was found dead after falling from a window. 'Windows are very dangerous in Russia,' Browder quipped on social media at the time. Adding to the doubts about the circumstances leading up to Starovoit's death, former Russian defence minister Andrei Kartapolov – who now leads a defense committee in the Russian parliament – told news outlet RTVI that Starovoit had killed himself 'quite a while ago'. Some Russian media alleged the former minister may have taken his life before the publication of Putin's decree firing him. Starovoit was last seen in public on Sunday morning, Moscow time, when an official video from the ministry's situation room featured him receiving reports from officials. An official order releasing Starovoit from his post was published on the Kremlin's website on Monday morning, without giving a reason for his removal. Russian media have reported that Starovoit'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 becoming transportation minister. The alleged corruption has been cited as one of the reasons Russia failed to hold the region in the face of a Ukrainian attack in August 2024, in a humiliating setback. While Russian news agencies often report the deaths of former officials and ministers as suicide, critics of the Kremlin attribute the deaths to the security services acting on orders. Ivan Stupak, a Ukrainian military analyst and former security service officer, told the Kyiv Independent on the weekend that the oil executive Badalov's death was probably an example of the security agencies at work. 'They can pressure a person in one way or another. It's a well-known tactic – either you kill yourself, and your family is left in peace with what they have, or they start arrests, imprisonments, and leave everyone destitute,' he told the publication. Russian authorities have also stepped up the prosecution of corruption cases. Loading On Monday, Khalil Arslanov, a former deputy chief of the military's general staff, was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Another former deputy in the military, Timur Ivanov, was convicted on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and handed a 13-year prison sentence. Both were close to former defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who was removed from his post in 2024 after overseeing the war against Ukraine.
The Age
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Age
Ousted Putin minister dies in gunshot ‘suicide', adding to list of mystery deaths
Activist and former financier Sir William Browder, who revealed the Kremlin's torture and killing of its enemies in the book Red Notice, estimated that Putin amassed billions of dollars. Browder and other critics of the Kremlin responded with disbelief in March when Russian news agencies reported that another former Putin ally, Buvaisar Saitiev, was found dead after falling from a window. 'Windows are very dangerous in Russia,' Browder quipped on social media at the time. Adding to the doubts about the circumstances leading up to Starovoit's death, former Russian defence minister Andrei Kartapolov – who now leads a defense committee in the Russian parliament – told news outlet RTVI that Starovoit had killed himself 'quite a while ago'. Some Russian media alleged the former minister may have taken his life before the publication of Putin's decree firing him. Starovoit was last seen in public on Sunday morning, Moscow time, when an official video from the ministry's situation room featured him receiving reports from officials. An official order releasing Starovoit from his post was published on the Kremlin's website on Monday morning, without giving a reason for his removal. Russian media have reported that Starovoit'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 becoming transportation minister. The alleged corruption has been cited as one of the reasons Russia failed to hold the region in the face of a Ukrainian attack in August 2024, in a humiliating setback. While Russian news agencies often report the deaths of former officials and ministers as suicide, critics of the Kremlin attribute the deaths to the security services acting on orders. Ivan Stupak, a Ukrainian military analyst and former security service officer, told the Kyiv Independent on the weekend that the oil executive Badalov's death was probably an example of the security agencies at work. 'They can pressure a person in one way or another. It's a well-known tactic – either you kill yourself, and your family is left in peace with what they have, or they start arrests, imprisonments, and leave everyone destitute,' he told the publication. Russian authorities have also stepped up the prosecution of corruption cases. Loading On Monday, Khalil Arslanov, a former deputy chief of the military's general staff, was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Another former deputy in the military, Timur Ivanov, was convicted on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and handed a 13-year prison sentence. Both were close to former defence minister Sergei Shoigu, who was removed from his post in 2024 after overseeing the war against Ukraine.
STV News
07-07-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Russian ex-minister found dead hours after being sacked by Putin
Russia's former transport minister has been found dead from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, just hours after Vladimir Putin sacked him. The Kremlin did not give a reason for the firing of Roman Starovoit, who had served as transport minister since May 2024, and it was unclear when exactly he died. Russia's Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency, said the body of Starovoit, 53, was found with a gunshot wound in his car parked in Odintsovo, a neighbourhood just west of Moscow where many members of Russia's elite live. A gun previously presented to him as an official gift was reportedly found next to his body. A criminal probe was launched into the death, and investigators said they saw suicide as the most likely cause, according to the committee's spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, who did not say when Starovoit died. Law enforcement agents were seen carrying Starovoit's body from the site Monday evening. The Kremlin only confirmed Roman Starovoit's sacking hours before he was found dead. / Credit: AP Andrei Kartapolov, a former deputy defence minister who heads a defence committee in the lower house of parliament, told news outlet RTVI that Starovoit killed himself 'quite a while ago,' and some Russian media alleged that he may have taken his life before the publication of Putin's decree firing him. Starovoit was last seen in public on Sunday morning when an official video from the ministry's situation room featured him receiving reports from officials. Russian media have reported that Starovoit'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 becoming transportation minister. The alleged embezzlement has been cited as one of the reasons for deficiencies in Russia's defensive lines that failed to stem a surprise Ukrainian incursion in the region launched in August 2024. In the stunning attack, Ukraine's battle-hardened mechanised units quickly overwhelmed lightly armed Russian border guards and inexperienced army conscripts. Hundreds were taken prisoner. The incursion was a blow to the Kremlin, marking the first time the country's territory was occupied by an invader since the Second World War. The Russian military has said it has reclaimed all the territory, but Ukraine says it is still active in the region. Starovoit'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 Starovoit also could have faced charges as part of the investigation. Starovoit's dismissal also followed a weekend of travel chaos as Russian airports were forced to ground hundreds of flights due to Ukrainian drone attacks. Most commentators said that the air traffic disruptions have become customary amid frequent Ukrainian drone raids and were unlikely to have triggered his dismissal. Shortly after Putin's decree on Starovoit was published, Andrei Korneichuk, an official with a state railways agency under his ministry, collapsed and died during a business meeting, Russian news reports said. They said he died of an apparent heart attack. An official order releasing Starovoit from his post was published on the Kremlin's website Monday morning without giving a reason for his dismissal. Shortly before the news of Starovoit's death broke, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Starovoit's replacement, Andrei Nikitin, and refused to comment on the reasons behind the move. Russian authorities have investigated a slew of cases of high-level corruption that were widely blamed for military setbacks in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin did not give a reason for the firing of Roman Starovoit. / Credit: AP On Monday, Khalil Arslanov, a former deputy chief of the military's General Staff, was convicted on corruption charges and sentenced to 17 years in prison. Arslanov is a former member of the military brass close to former Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Several of them were targeted in a far-ranging probe into alleged military graft. Last week, Shoigu's former deputy, Timur Ivanov, was convicted on charges of embezzlement and money laundering and handed a 13-year prison sentence. Shoigu, a veteran official with personal ties to Putin, survived the purges of his inner circle and was given the high-profile post of secretary of Russia's Security Council. In another move on Monday, the Investigative Committee announced the arrest of Viktor Strigunov, the former first deputy chief of the National Guard. It said Strigunov was charged with corruption and abuse of office. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
