Why did Vladimir Putin sack Roman Starovoit? Ex-Russian minister ‘dies by suicide’

The decree released by the Kremlin, announcing the dismissal of Roman Starovoit, did not specify the reason for President Vladimir Putin's decision.

Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoit was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound on Monday, just hours after President Vladimir Putin had dismissed him.

Officials said preliminary findings indicate that Roman Starovoit killed himself after being sacked by Putin (Reuters)

A spokesperson from Russia's Investigative Committee, as cited by state-run TASS news agency, said while officials are probing the scene to ascertain the cause of death, preliminary findings indicate that Starovoit died by suicide.

“Today, in the Odintsovo district [of Moscow]... Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was found in his car with a gunshot wound,” the spokesperson added.

Who was Roman Starovoit?

• Roman Starovoit was appointed as the transport minister by Putin in May 2024, after the latter was elected president for another six-year term. He went on to head the ministry after having been the governor of the Kursk region for nearly five years.
• Starovoit's tenure as governor drew criticism after Ukraine made a surprise incursion into Kursk last year in August. The Ukrainians were only pushed out of Kursk earlier this year following intense fighting and widespread destruction.
• An announcement made by the Kremlin earlier on Monday gave no reason for the transport minister's dismissal, who had held the post for less than a year. However, political analysts, as cited by Reuters, said that Starovoit's dismissal might have been in connection with an investigation into corruption in Kursk, a region he once ran.
• Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked by reporters earlier on Monday whether Starovoit's dismissal meant that Putin no longer trusted him with Kursk. To this, he responded, saying that a "loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust". "There is no such wording in the (Kremlin) decree," he added.

Why was Roman Starovoit fired?

• The decree released by the Kremlin did not specify any reasons for the dismissal of Roman Starovoit. He will be replaced by deputy transport minister Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as the acting transportation minister.
• A Russian newspaper, cited by the Moscow Times, reported that the decision to replace Starovoi was taken "several months ago".
• However, some political analysts indicated that the decision's basis might be a corruption investigation in the Kursk region, which focused on funds earmarked for fortifying Russia's border with Ukraine in Kursk.
• Since Starovoit's tenure as Kursk governor began drawing scrutiny, law enforcement officials have reportedly arrested several high-profile people, including his successor Alexi Smirnov, over the alleged misuse of public funds.
• Smirnov and his deputy had allegedly been accused of embezzling 1 billion rubles ($12.7 million) from Kursk to use as construction defence fortifications along the border with Ukraine.
• Yevgeny Minchenko, a political analyst cited by the Moscow Times, said Starovoit's dismissal was "predictable", adding that "the Kursk region situation has caught up with him".