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6d ago

Transport Minister Starovoit Dies by Apparent Suicide Hours After Dismissal

Officials have opened a criminal investigation as his unexplained firing raises questions about Russian transport leadership.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured meeting Roman Starovoit on January 30, 2025 in the Kremlin.
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Russian Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit attends a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in Moscow, Russia January 30, 2025. Sputnik/Gavriil Grigorov/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY.
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Overview

  • On July 7, President Putin issued a decree relieving Roman Starovoit of his post without giving a reason for the abrupt removal.
  • Hours later, Starovoit was found dead in his car in the Odintsovo district of Moscow with a gunshot wound.
  • Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a criminal probe and identified suicide as the main version of his death.
  • Andrei Nikitin, Starovoit’s deputy and former Novgorod governor, was immediately appointed acting transport minister.
  • Starovoit’s tenure had been overshadowed by flight cancellations from Ukrainian drone attacks and lingering corruption allegations from his time as Kursk governor.