Ex-Russian Transport Minister Dies After Dismissal

Roman Starovoyt, Russia's former Transport Minister and ex-governor of the Kursk region, was found dead in his car from a gunshot wound just hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his ministerial post. Starovoyt had served as transport minister since May 2024 and was reportedly under scrutiny for alleged embezzlement of funds meant for border fortifications in Kursk, which had experienced Ukrainian incursions. His firing followed a weekend of travel chaos at Russian airports, believed linked to Ukrainian drone attacks, but the Kremlin denied his removal was due to a loss of trust. Investigators are treating his death as an apparent suicide but continue to examine the circumstances. Starovoyt’s successor as Kursk governor, Alexei Smirnov, has also been detained on similar fraud charges, increasing focus on corruption in the region. Starovoyt's death is among the most high-profile violent deaths of Russian officials since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.