Former Russian Transport Minister Found Dead Hours After Putin Sacks Him

Roman Starovoit reportedly died of self-inflicted gunshot wound amid corruption probe, says Investigative Committee

Moscow, Russia – Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, hours after being dismissed from office by President Vladimir Putin. Authorities believe he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement from the Investigative Committee of Russia.

Starovoit’s death comes amid reports that he was about to be implicated in a corruption investigation related to border fortification funds. Russian media outlet Kommersant reported that he was set to be named a defendant in the case, which has already led to the arrest of his predecessor, Aleksey Smirnov.

The exact time of Starovoit’s death remains unclear. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, suggested to local outlet RTVI that the former minister may have died “quite a while ago.”

Starovoit was dismissed earlier on Monday by presidential decree, with no official reason given. He had served as transport minister since May 2024, following nearly six years as governor of the Kursk region.

His death adds to growing scrutiny over the handling of infrastructure and defence spending near Russia’s border with Ukraine, particularly in light of Ukraine’s brief occupation of parts of Kursk during an offensive in August 2024.

Kremlin Silent on Motive

When asked about the dismissal, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether Starovoit had lost President Putin’s trust:

A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. Such wording was not used in the Kremlin decree,” Peskov told reporters.

Deputy Minister Andrei Nikitin has since been named as Starovoit’s successor at the Ministry of Transport.

The Investigative Committee says it is actively working to determine the circumstances surrounding the former minister’s death.

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