Russia’s Ex-transport minister, Roman Starovoyt, died by suicide after being sacked by President Vladimir Putin.
Starovoyt shot himself in a Moscow suburb after the dismissal was announced, Russian news agencies reported. As per the authorities, his body was found in his car.
Earlier in the day, President Putin had signed a decree sacking Starovoyt, who was appointed to the post in May 2024. He later signed another decree appointing his deputy, Andrey Nikitin, as the country’s acting transport minister.
Investigative Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said that an investigation is underway to establish the circumstances behind the death of the former minister.
Starovoyt had served as the governor of Russia’s Kursk Oblast before being appointed as transport minister.
Former Kursk Oblast official Aleksei Smirnov, who had previously served as Starovoit’s deputy, had provided testimony implicating Starovoit. Smirnov himself was arrested earlier on suspicion of embezzling 1 billion rubles (over $12 million) during the construction of defensive structures in the border region. Officials are investigating the large-scale theft of state funds in Kursk Oblast, with several of Starovoit’s former deputies remaining under suspicion, including Smirnov, who briefly served as acting governor, The Kyiv Independent reported.
(This is a developing story)
Former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoyt kills himself hours after Putin sacked him
