Russian minister found dead hours after being sacked by Putin

Alsharq Tribune- Sarah Benkraouda 

Russia’s transport minister killed himself hours after he was sacked by Vladimir Putin, according to state media.

Roman Starovoit, the former governor of the Kursk region that was invaded by Ukrainian forces last year, was found dead in his car from a gunshot wound.

Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for the Russian investigative committee, said “suicide is the primary version”, and added that investigators were working at the scene.

Starovoit, 53, was dismissed from his position as minister of transport for unspecified reasons on Monday. Over the weekend, Ukrainian drone attacks sparked turmoil at Russian airports, with hundreds of passengers left stranded by flight cancellations.

The Kremlin said the sacking was not related to a loss of confidence in the long-standing member of Putin’s United Russia party.

Starovoit served as governor of Kursk from 2019 to 2024, resigning over the invasion of the Ukrainian army. Alexei Smirnov, the former deputy who replaced him in the role, was arrested in April over claims of embezzlement during the construction of defences in the region.

Sources told Ros Business Consulting (RBC) news, a privately owned Russian media channel, that Starovoit was also under threat of arrest as the construction began during his term.

Before his death, Dmitry Elovsky, a political analyst, told the publication that the “situation casts a shadow on him”.

He said: “The public has an unasked question: if there was corruption, then what is the responsibility of the former governor?”

The veteran, Kursk-born politician appeared to have shot himself with a pistol awarded to him by Russia’s interior ministry in 2023, RBC added.

The car was found in Malevich Park in Odintsovo, a city in the Moscow region, sources told state-owned Izvestia.

The apparent suicide came days after Konstantin Strukov, the chief executive of Yuzhuralzoloto, Russia’s third-largest gold producer, was barred from leaving the country after authorities charged him with corruption and moved to nationalise the company.

Mr Strukov was on board his $50 million Bombardier jet when his departure to Turkey was halted by federal aviation authorities, the Kommersant business newspaper reported on Saturday.

Pictures showed the tycoon looking at the floor as bailiffs and an official in a high-visibility jacket stood over his seat.

Prosecutors have accused the 66-year-old of using his political influence to acquire lucrative mining contracts and registering them in the name of family members. A court motion has been filed to seize his assets.