Russian minister found dead in apparent suicide hours after being fired by Putin

Former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoyt was found dead from a gunshot wound in a Moscow suburb, just hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Authorities believe it was a suicide. Starovoyt, aged 53, had served as minister since May 2024 and previously was the governor of the Kursk region. His dismissal followed various issues, including travel chaos at airports due to Ukrainian drone attacks and alleged corruption linked to the Kursk region. Media reports that Starovoit’s body was found in a Tesla in a Moscow suburb, around 3:00pm local time with a Marakov pistol he had been awarded, allegedly found next to him.

Before becoming transport minister, Starovoit served as governor of Kursk Region. The Investigative Committee confirmed the findings and labeled the incident as a likely suicide.