Russian Minister Roman Starovoit Found Dead After Dismissal by Putin

Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, with authorities reporting the apparent cause as a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The discovery followed his dismissal earlier the same day by President Vladimir Putin, sending shockwaves through political circles.

The circumstances surrounding Starovoit’s death are currently under investigation by Russia’s Investigative Committee. No official reason was provided for his dismissal from the transport minister position, a role he assumed in May 2024. His replacement, deputy transport minister Andrei Nikitin, was announced swiftly after the news of Starovoit’s removal broke.

Prior to his tenure as transport minister, Starovoit served as the governor of the Kursk region for nearly nine years, concluding his term in May 2024. His time as governor was marked by significant security challenges, including a period when parts of the region were occupied by Ukrainian troops in August 2024. While Moscow announced the expulsion of Ukrainian forces, reports in late June indicated that Kyiv still maintained control over a small territory within Russia.

Adding to the turmoil within the transport ministry, Starovoit’s predecessor, Aleksey Smirnov, faced legal troubles. Smirnov was arrested in April and subsequently accused of embezzling funds designated for the construction of border fortifications with Ukraine. Speculation arose from the Russian outlet Kommersant that Starovoit himself was slated to be implicated as a defendant in the same embezzlement case.

The exact timing of Starovoit’s death remains unclear. Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the State Duma Defense Committee, commented to Russian outlet RTVI that the death occurred “quite a while ago,” suggesting a potential delay in public announcement or discovery.

Earlier on the day of the announcement, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed inquiries regarding Starovoit’s dismissal. When questioned by reporters whether the dismissal signified a loss of confidence due to the Kursk region events, Peskov stated that “A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. Such wording was not used [in the Kremlin decree],” indicating no official reason for the dismissal was publicly linked to performance.