Russia Reports Death of Minister Dismissed by Putin

Roman Starovoyt, the former transport minister of Russia, passed away just hours after President Vladimir Putin officially dismissed him, according to the country’s investigative committee.

Authorities reported that Mr. Starovoyt’s body was discovered in a Moscow suburb soon after the announcement of his firing, with “suicide” being considered the most probable cause of death.

At the age of 53, Mr. Starovoyt had held the position of transport minister since May of the previous year. He was also the former governor of the Kursk region, where Russia had been engaged in a conflict with Ukraine.

“Today, the body of former transport minister Roman Starovoyt was located in his private vehicle with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district,” stated the investigative committee.

According to Russian state media and news agencies, Mr. Starovoyt reportedly took his own life. The exact timing of his death remains unclear.

Just hours before, the Kremlin had released a decree signed by Mr. Putin, relieving Mr. Starovoyt of his ministerial duties.

The decree simply stated: “Roman Starovoyt was relieved of the post of minister of transport.”

His dismissal occurred following another weekend filled with travel disruptions at Russian airports due to Ukrainian drone strikes.

Additionally, Russian state media speculated that his firing might be connected to allegations of corruption in the Kursk region and a potential criminal investigation regarding the embezzlement of funds designated for border fortifications.

In response to the dismissal, before the announcement of Mr. Starovoyt’s death, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that the situation was “not linked to a loss of trust.”

Shortly after the Kremlin’s announcement of the firing, Mr. Putin met with one of Mr. Starovoyt’s deputies, Andrei Nikitin, to appoint him as the acting minister of transport.

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