Fired Russian transport minister found shot dead in his car

Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit, 2025. Photo: Pool/TASS

MOSCOW,— Roman Starovoit, Russia’s recently dismissed transport minister, was found dead inside his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound, according to state investigators on Monday.

Authorities are treating the death as a likely “suicide”, just hours after President Vladimir Putin removed him from his post.

According to the state news agency TASS, citing investigators, Starovoit had shot himself.

A presidential decree announcing Starovoit’s dismissal gave no explanation for the decision, which came after less than a year in office. Political analysts and unnamed sources suggest the firing may be linked to a corruption probe tied to the Kursk region, where Starovoit previously served as governor.

A source familiar with the transport sector told Reuters, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case, said Starovoit’s position had been under scrutiny for months amid allegations surrounding misappropriated funds meant for strengthening Russia’s border defenses in Kursk.

Fired Russian transport minister found shot dead in his car — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin (left) with Roman Starovoit, 2018. Photo: Kremlin.ru

Conflicting reports surfaced regarding the exact time of Starovoit’s death. The Investigative Committee, responsible for probing major crimes, stated it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Several Russian media outlets quoted law enforcement sources confirming that a pistol belonging to Starovoit was discovered beside his body inside the vehicle.

Before his appointment as transport minister in May 2024, Starovoit governed the Kursk region for nearly five years. During his tenure as minister, Ukrainian forces briefly crossed into Kursk—the largest incursion into Russian territory since World War II—before being pushed back earlier this year amid intense fighting and destruction.

In April, Alexei Smirnov, who succeeded Starovoit as Kursk governor, was charged with embezzlement involving funds allocated for regional defense, intensifying concerns about corruption linked to border security.

When asked whether Starovoit’s removal reflected a loss of trust related to the Kursk situation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. There is no such wording in the decree.”

Starovoit’s exit comes as Russia faces mounting difficulties in its transport sector. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to shortages of spare parts in aviation and high borrowing costs for Russian Railways, the country’s largest employer, due to inflation control measures.

The Kremlin named Andrei Nikitin, former governor of Novgorod region, as acting transport minister.

Photos released by the Kremlin showed Nikitin shaking hands with Putin. Spokesman Peskov commented on Nikitin’s appointment, saying, “The president believes Nikitin’s experience and skills are best suited to lead this vital agency.”

Sources within the transport industry indicated that plans for Nikitin to replace Starovoit were in place before the International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg last month. The transport ministry declined to comment.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, chief of Russian private mercenary Wagner group, August 21, 2023. Photo: Courtesy/PMC Wagner

At his meeting with Putin, Nikitin emphasized efforts to digitize Russia’s transport sector to ease cargo congestion and improve cross-border trade flows.

According to analysts and political observers, President Vladimir Putin has a track record of sidelining individuals seen as disloyal or challenging to his authority.

One notable incident occurred on August 23, 2023, when a private jet traveling from Moscow to St. Petersburg crashed, killing all 10 people on board. Among the passengers was Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner Group, a private military organization that had operated alongside Russian forces in Ukraine.

Just two months earlier, in June 2023, Prigozhin led a short-lived armed rebellion against Russia’s top military command.

(With files from Reuters)