Russia’s Sacked Transport Minister Found Dead Amid Corruption Allegations

Roman Starovoit, Russia’s recently dismissed transport minister, has been found dead in his car near Moscow with a gunshot wound just hours after President Vladimir Putin unexpectedly removed him from office. Authorities suspect suicide as the primary cause of death.

A presidential decree issued earlier on Monday confirming his dismissal did not specify a reason for his dismissal, though political analysts linked the move to an ongoing corruption investigation tied to Starovoit’s tenure as governor of the Kursk region.

Corruption Scandal

The alleged scandal involves the misuse of federal funds meant to reinforce Russia’s border with Ukraine, particularly in Kursk, a region that experienced the most significant foreign military incursion into Russian territory since World War II when Ukrainian forces crossed the border last year. The situation intensified in April when Starovoit’s successor, Governor Alexei Smirnov, was formally charged with embezzling defence-related funds.

Starovoit had served as governor of Kursk for nearly five years before being appointed transport minister in May 2024. His tenure in the ministry was brief and following Starovoit’s dismissal, the Kremlin quickly appointed Andrei Nikitin former governor of the Novgorod region as acting transport minister.