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Russia’s former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt died by suicide Monday, just hours after President Vladimir Putin officially dismissed him, the country’s Investigative Committee said.
Authorities said Starovoyt’s body was discovered in a private vehicle in the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, shortly after the Kremlin announced his firing. He was 53.
“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.
Russian state media, citing emergency services, reported Starovoyt shot himself in the Moscow suburb. It was not immediately clear when he died.
Starovoyt was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after serving as governor of the border region of Kursk since September 2019. The region has seen repeated cross-border attacks during Russia’s war with Ukraine.
Earlier Monday, Putin signed a decree dismissing Starovoyt and later appointed his deputy, Andrey Nikitin, as acting transport minister.
Russian media outlets speculated that Starovoyt’s removal may have been connected to alleged corruption in the Kursk region, including a potential criminal investigation into the embezzlement of funds designated for border fortifications.
Before Starovoyt’s death was confirmed, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the dismissal was “not linked to a loss of trust.”
Starovoyt had also served in various roles within the Russian government and transport sector before becoming governor of Kursk.
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