Moscow, Russia – Former Russian Minister of Transport Roman Starovoyt was found dead on Monday in what officials are treating as a suicide, just hours after being dismissed from his post by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Kremlin formally announced Starovoyt’s removal in a presidential decree published on the government’s official website. His deputy, Andrey Nikitin, has been appointed as the acting minister pending a permanent replacement.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that a full probe is underway to determine the circumstances of his death.
Russian media outlets report that Starovoyt had recently come under scrutiny in an investigation related to embezzlement of state funds, specifically those allocated for the construction of regional defense fortifications.
Before his appointment as Transport Minister in May 2024, Starovoyt served as governor of the Kursk region in southern Russia. He stepped down from that position amid security failures and rising criticism shortly before the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Starovoit’s sudden death adds to a growing list of high-profile Russian officials and business elites who have died under mysterious circumstances in recent years, often in the shadow of corruption allegations and political fallout.
The Kremlin has not issued an official comment on the incident beyond the announcement of his dismissal.
