A former Russian transport minister has been found dead with a gunshot wound in his car just hours after it was revealed he had been sacked from his role.
Roman Starovoit, the ex-governor of the Kursk region, is reported to have taken his own life.
The 53-year-old’s death comes after he was dismissed from his transport position by President Vladimir Putin.
Roman Starovoit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Pic: Sputnik/Reuters
In a statement, Russia‘s Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency, said Mr Starovoit’s body was discovered in his vehicle parked in Odintsovo, a neighbourhood west of Moscow where members of the country’s elite live.
The circumstances surrounding Mr Starovoit’s death are being investigated, with the statement adding: “The main version is suicide.”
Earlier on Monday, it was revealed Mr Putin had fired Mr Starovoit after just over a year in the job.
Mr Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine.
A few months after he left his role as governor, Ukrainian troops crossed over the border into Kursk as Kyiv launched the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since the Second World War.
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Ukrainian forces were pushed out of Kursk earlier this year.
In April, Mr Starovoit’s successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes.
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Mr Putin with Andrei Nikitin, the new acting transport minister. Pic: Sputnik/Reuters
Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, has been appointed acting transport minister.
When earlier asked about Mr Starovoit’s sudden departure, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “At present, in the president’s opinion, Andrei Nikitin’s professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions.”