Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit Found Dead After Dismissal

Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, who was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, has been found dead under mysterious circumstances. Russia's Investigative Committee reported that Starovoit died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, though the exact timing of his death remains unclear.

Starovoit was removed from his position on Monday, with Deputy Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin named as his replacement. No official explanation was provided for his dismissal. Starovoit had served as transport minister since May 2024, following a six-year tenure as governor of the Kursk region, which saw partial occupation by Ukrainian forces during a surprise offensive in August 2024. Russian troops later reclaimed the area, though Ukraine reportedly still holds a small portion of territory within the region.

Prior to his death, Starovoit was reportedly under investigation in a corruption case involving the embezzlement of funds allocated for border fortifications with Ukraine. His predecessor, Aleksey Smirnov, was arrested in April on similar charges, according to Russian media outlet Kommersant.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, suggested that Starovoit's death occurred "quite a while ago," though no specific date was provided. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when questioned about the dismissal, denied that it was linked to a loss of trust from President Putin, stating that such wording was not used in the official decree.

As investigations into Starovoit's death continue, the incident has sparked further scrutiny of the political and military tensions between Russia and Ukraine, particularly in the contested Kursk region.