Overview

• President Vladimir Putin dismissed Roman Starovoit on July 7 and investigators reported he shot himself hours later in his Tesla, ruling his death a suicide.
• The Russian Investigative Committee says his body was inside his car but other outlets place it in nearby bushes and SOTA alleges fresh signs of beatings.
• Despite widespread rumors of imminent graft charges linked to misused Kursk fortification funds, officials have announced no formal corruption case against him.
• Hundreds of mourners at his Moscow memorial reflected growing unease among elites as wartime anti-corruption efforts overturn long-standing protections.
• Analysts note his connection to the Rotenberg brothers failed to shield him, signaling a shift in Kremlin patronage under the pressure of the Ukraine war.