Russia's former Transportation Minister found dead, authorities suspect suicide

Russian Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit, 53, was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound, likely due to suicide. The State Investigative Committee is investigating, but preliminary cause of death is suicide. Starovoit was recently fired by President Putin, who announced the change in a decree without giving a reason. He will be replaced by Andrei Nikitin, the Deputy Minister of Transportation and former governor of Novgorod region.

Russian Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit, 53, was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound, likely due to suicide. The State Investigative Committee is investigating, but preliminary cause of death is suicide. Starovoit was recently fired by President Putin, who announced the change in a decree without giving a reason. He will be replaced by Andrei Nikitin, the Deputy Minister of Transportation and former governor of Novgorod region.

Starovoit's body was discovered in Odintsovo, a neighborhood in the Moscow region, with a Makarov gun found near his Tesla car. The Investigative Committee spokesperson, Svetlana Petrenko, confirmed that the primary theory is suicide. The exact timeline of his death remains unclear, with some reports suggesting it occurred on July 7, while others claim he had been dead for over a day.

Starovoit's career in public service was marked by significant roles. He headed the Federal Road Agency (Rosavtodor) and was appointed governor of Kursk region in 2018. His tenure as governor was brief, as he was promoted to the federal post of Minister of Transport in May 2024. He was dismissed by President Putin on July 7, 2025.

The dismissal coincides with a major criminal investigation into alleged fraud involving Starovoit's governorship. His former deputy and successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested in April 2025 on charges of large-scale, organized fraud. The case involves the alleged embezzlement of at least one billion rubles (over $12.7 million) during the construction of defensive fortifications along the region's border with Ukraine.

The investigation into Starovoit's death will likely shed more light on the allegations surrounding his involvement in the fraud scheme. The replacement of Starovoit by Andrei Nikitin suggests a continuity in the ministry's leadership, with Nikitin taking over as the new Minister of Transportation.

References:
[1] https://en.zona.media/article/2025/07/07/starovoit
[2] https://apnews.com/article/russia-starovoyt-minister-suicide-kursk-59babee35c7c1bae79c5becd51f52066