Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt, recently dismissed by Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, was found dead in a car with a gunshot wound."The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. The main version is suicide," said Svetlana Petrenko, spokeswoman for the Central Investigative Directorate in Moscow. Starovoyt had been transport minister since May 2024. Before that, he was governor of the Russian region of Kursk, where Ukraine launched a surprise attack in August 2024.
Russian media reported that the 53-year-old politician allegedly shot himself at his home in Odintsovo, Moscow Region. There was initially no official confirmation of reports that the minister took his own life while still in office over the weekend.
Putin's dismissal decree, published in Moscow on Monday, does not state why the former governor of the western Russian region of Kursk, who had only been promoted in May of last year, had to leave his post so soon. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also did not comment on the reasons. Andrei Nikitin, who had previously served as Starovoit's deputy, was appointed acting Minister of Transport.
Involved in scandal over lack of border protection in Kursk?
It was unclear why Starovoyt might have taken his own life. According to media reports, the politician from the Kremlin's United Russia party could have been blamed for failures during his time as governor of the Kursk region, where Ukrainian troops captured dozens of villages in August of last year.
Starovoit's successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, has been arrested for alleged fraud. Smirnov became governor of Kursk in May 2024. After Ukrainian troops invaded the region, he was forced to resign in December 2024. The case against Smirnov concerns alleged misappropriation of funds for the construction of fortifications on the border with Ukraine. The fact that Ukrainian troops were able to enter the area seemingly without problems in August sparked outrage and critical questions throughout Russia.
Other reasons for dismissal also suspected
These fortifications were allegedly built starting in 2022, shortly after the start of Putin's aggressive war against Ukraine. As governor, Starovoyt had already reported the completion of these structures to the higher ranks.
Although no investigations against him are known, media in Moscow reported that Starovoyt may also have been targeted by investigators. According to the report, he could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted of embezzling funds during the construction of the border guards.
Russian commentators also cited the chaos at Russian airports as a possible reason for the dismissal. Due to frequent Ukrainian drone attacks, hundreds of flights are being canceled in the middle of the holiday season. Passengers are sometimes stranded at airports by the thousands because takeoffs and landings are not possible. The Russian newspaper Kommersant reported on Monday that the aviation industry is suffering heavy financial losses.
