Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit found dead hours after dismissal

Reuters

Russian politician Roman Starovoit, who was dismissed from his post as the country’s transport minister by President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning, has been found dead in the Moscow region.

According to Russia’s Investigative Committee, Starovoit’s body was found in his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound in his car in the Moscow region’s Odintsovo district. The agency said in a statement that investigators were “working at the scene to determine the circumstances” and that the leading theory was suicide.

Starovoit previously served as governor of the Kursk region from 2019 until 2024 before being appointed transport minister. His career included various roles in infrastructure and state administration.

The president replaced Starovoit with Deputy Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as acting transportation minister. Nikitin resigned as governor of the northwestern Novgorod region in February to assume the deputy role.

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