LagosExplorer reports that former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead in an apparent suicide, hours after being abruptly dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. The shocking turn of events has stunned the Russian political establishment and sparked intense speculation about the deeper implications behind his death.
Starovoit, who had only been appointed transport minister in May 2024, reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a statement from Russia’s Investigative Committee. Authorities say they are now investigating the full circumstances surrounding his death, which remains clouded in uncertainty.
His dismissal was officially announced earlier on Monday without any explanation, and Andrei Nikitin was immediately named as his replacement. The sudden personnel shift raised eyebrows in Moscow, particularly given Starovoit’s relatively short tenure at the helm of the transport ministry.
Prior to his ministerial role, Starovoit served as the governor of Russia's Kursk region for nearly six years—a region that came under intense scrutiny after parts of it were seized by Ukrainian forces in a surprise offensive last August. Though Russia later reclaimed the territory, Kyiv maintains control of a small section of Russian land, according to Ukrainian statements in late June.
Adding another layer of intrigue, Russian media outlet Kommersant reported that Starovoit was on the verge of being named a defendant in a high-profile corruption case involving the embezzlement of funds meant for border fortifications. His brief successor as Kursk governor, Aleksey Smirnov, was arrested in April over the same allegations.
While it remains unclear exactly when Starovoit died, some officials suggest it may have occurred much earlier than the official announcement. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, stated that the death had happened “quite a while ago,” though no details have been confirmed.
In response to growing media pressure earlier on Monday—before the death was publicly confirmed—Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to say whether Starovoit had been dismissed due to a loss of trust by President Putin. “A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. Such wording was not used,” Peskov said pointedly.
The tragedy has now raised more questions than answers about the fate of senior Russian officials and the mounting tensions within the Kremlin amid ongoing fallout from the Ukraine conflict and internal corruption scandals. LagosExplorer continues to monitor developments as the investigation unfolds.