Russia’s former transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead with a gunshot wound in his personal car, just hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin amid mounting corruption allegations.
The 53-year-old’s body was discovered in the Odintsovo district of Moscow on Monday, with Russian investigators stating suicide as the primary theory behind his death.
“The body of the former minister of transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit, was discovered in his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound today in the Odintsovo city district,” Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement.
Swift Dismissal and Death
Starovoit’s death came mere hours after Putin signed a decree dismissing him from his ministerial position, which he had held for just over a year. The decree, published on the Kremlin’s official website Monday morning, took immediate effect but provided no explanation for the removal.
According to Russian media reports, a firearm was found near Starovoit’s body, believed to be a service award Makarov pistol given to him by the Interior Ministry in 2023 for his assistance in federal operations.
Police investigators are working at the scene to determine the circumstances of the incident. The leading theory is suicide,” a spokesperson from Russia’s Investigative Committee told state-run TASS news agency.
Shadow of Kursk Corruption Scandal
While no official reason was given for his dismissal, Starovoit’s removal appears linked to a widening corruption investigation in the Kursk region, where he served as governor from 2018 to May 2024.
The scandal centers on the alleged embezzlement of funds allocated for border defense fortifications. In April 2025, his successor as Kursk governor, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested and charged with embezzling 1 billion rubles ($12.7 million) meant for constructing defensive structures along the Ukraine border.
According to the Kommersant business newspaper, suspects in the embezzlement case, including Smirnov, had recently testified against Starovoit, implicating him in financial misconduct related to the fortification projects.
Failed Border Defenses
The corruption allegations gained particular significance following Ukraine’s surprise incursion into the Kursk region in August 2024. Despite nearly 15 billion rubles ($190 million) being spent on border fortifications during Starovoit’s tenure – a project that took three years to complete – Ukrainian forces managed to rapidly seize large swaths of the region with little resistance.
Investigators were reportedly examining documents signed by Starovoit authorizing the allocation of 19 billion rubles to the Kursk Region Development Corporation for construction contracts without competitive bidding.
Beyond the border construction scandal, law enforcement was also investigating potential procurement violations in Kursk’s healthcare system and a failed public transport reform initiative during his governorship.
Political Fallout
Political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko called Starovoit’s dismissal “predictable,” noting that “the Kursk region situation has caught up with him.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when pressed by reporters about whether the dismissal indicated Putin had lost trust in Starovoit over Kursk, replied cryptically: “A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust.
Putin appointed Deputy Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin, the former governor of Novgorod region, as acting transport minister to replace Starovoit.
Transport Sector Challenges
Starovoit’s dismissal also came amid significant challenges facing Russia’s transport sector. The aviation industry faces severe spare parts shortages due to international sanctions, while Russian Railways, the country’s largest employer, grapples with soaring interest costs.
The timing was particularly notable as it followed a weekend of major disruptions to Russian civilian airspace. Nearly 300 flights were grounded at major airports due to Ukrainian drone raids, with Russian air defense reportedly shooting down 90 UAVs overnight across Russian territory, the Black Sea, and annexed Crimea.
Career in Public Service
Starovoit had spent much of his career in Russia’s transport and infrastructure sector. He led the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor) from 2012 to 2018 before briefly serving as deputy transport minister and then governor of Kursk.
He held several state honors, including the Order of Honor, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, and the Order of Friendship, and had the rank of Active State Advisor of the Russian Federation, 1st class.
Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Starovoit was sanctioned by Western countries including the UK, US, Canada, and Ukraine.
Pattern of Pressure
Starovoit’s apparent suicide adds to a troubling pattern of high-profile deaths among Russian officials and businessmen since the Ukraine conflict began. His death highlights the intense pressure facing regional governors and ministers as corruption investigations intensify and military setbacks mount.
More than 20 individuals have already been arrested in connection with the Kursk defense construction case, with investigations continuing into what appears to be systematic corruption in one of Russia’s most sensitive border regions.
The circumstances surrounding Starovoit’s death remain under investigation by Russian authorities.
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Image credit:
Роман Старовойт. Photo via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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