Russia on Tuesday addressed former transport minister Roman Starovoit's suicide. “Naturally, this event shocked us,” Reuters quoted the Kremlin as saying.
Roman Starovoit allegedly shot himself to death a few hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin had sacked Starovoit as transport minister on Monday.
Asked about Starovoit's death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin had been briefed on the incident and described the news as "tragic and sad".
Peskov declined to speculate on the cause of Starovoit’s death, citing the ongoing investigation.
"It can't help but shock normal people. Naturally, it shocked us too," said Peskov. "There's an investigation under way. And it is this investigation that will answer all the questions."
Starovoit was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound on his body, with Russia's Investigative Committee saying that preliminary findings suggest he had died by suicide. However, the committee said officials were probing further to determine the cause of death, state-run TASS news agency reported.
“Today, in the Odintsovo district [of Moscow]... Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was found in his car with a gunshot wound,” the spokesperson said.
No official reason for Starovoit's removal as transport minister
{{/usCountry}}“Today, in the Odintsovo district [of Moscow]... Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was found in his car with a gunshot wound,” the spokesperson said.
No official reason for Starovoit's removal as transport minister
{{/usCountry}}Putin's decree removing Starovoit – who was appointed transport minister in 2024 – had provided no official reason for the sacking.
In his place, Russia appointed Andrei Nikitin, former governor of the Novgorod region, as the acting transport minister. Photographs of Nikitin meeting Putin and shaking hands with him were also released by the Kremlin.
When asked about the decision, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said it was Putin's “opinion” that Nikitin's experience and professional qualities would “best contribute” to the department.
Prior to taking over the post, Starovoit had served as the governor of the sensitive Kursk region, which borders Ukraine, for five years. However, he had faced criticism after Ukraine's incursion into Kursk in August last year.
The move to remove Starovoit as the transport minister comes at a crucial time, given Russia's war with Ukraine. The country's aviation sector is facing a shortage of spare parts and the railways is witnessing steep interest costs, according to Reuters.
However, as per two sources in Russian transport industry quoted by Reuters, Kremlin was planning to hand over the post to Nikitin since before last month's International Economic Forum in St Petersburg.