US EditionRussia’s transport chief dismissed by Putin found dead in suspected suicide
RUSSIA, JUL 7 – Roman Starovoit died by suicide hours after being dismissed amid a $246 million corruption probe and a transport crisis caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, Russian investigators said.
- Roman Starovoit, Russia's transport minister who was dismissed by President Putin on July 7, was discovered dead in Odintsovo with a gunshot injury, with investigators indicating suicide as the likely cause.
- Starovoit's removal followed a weekend of travel disruptions caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, and media linked his dismissal to an ongoing embezzlement investigation involving state funds for Kursk fortifications.
- Previously governor of the Kursk region, Starovoit faced allegations of approving corrupt contracts, with several former associates, including ex-governor Alexei Smirnov, under investigation for large-scale fraud.
- Senior lawmaker Andrei Kartapolov confirmed Starovoit's death as a likely suicide that occurred some time ago, while critics note Kremlin's pattern of officials' suspicious deaths under pressure.
- The incident underscores ongoing instability in Russia's transport sector amid military and economic pressure, with Andrei Nikitin appointed as Starovoit's successor to face these challenges.
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THE girlfriend of Vladimir Putin’s transport official who was found dead ahead of a fraud inquiry could be banned from his funeral. Roman Starovoit, 53, was sacked by Vlad on Monday after he couldn’t stop Ukraine causing mayhem to Russia’s aviation industry – and was found dead hours later. Polina Korneeva had dated Roman Starovoit for several yearsNewsflash Newsflash25-year-old Polina might be barred from attending her boyfriend’s funeral[/capt…
Russia was rocked on Monday by one of the biggest scandals since the start of the Special Military Operation.
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The Russian transport minister may have died before Putin fired him. Starovoyt officially committed suicide, but given the increasing number of suicides and falls from windows since the war against Ukraine, his death could unsettle the previously protected official elite, even if the Kremlin did not remove him.
His body was found in a park on the outskirts of Moscow – with a gunshot wound to the head and a gun next to his body.
The case of Roman Starovoit is reminiscent of the fate of Soviet Interior Minister Nikolai Shchelokov, who faced charges of corruption, theft and abuse of power after he was removed from office.
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