Dismissed by Putin, ex-minister commits suicide

Tragic death of Roman Starovoit: ex-Minister of Transport found dead on the day of his resignation

Former Russian Minister of Transport Roman Starovoit was found dead in his own car in the Moscow region. According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, suicide is being considered as the main version of what happened.

The body of 53-year-old Starovoit with a gunshot wound was found on Monday in his personal car in the Odintsovo urban district, the ICR reports.

"The investigative bodies of the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region are working at the scene, establishing the circumstances of the incident. The main version is suicide," the department's official statement says.

Earlier on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Starovoit's resignation from the post of head of the Russian Ministry of Transport. The document did not contain any wording about the reasons for the official's dismissal.

Starovoit had held the position of minister for just over a year - since May 2024. Before that, he was the governor of the Kursk region for more than five years.