Dismissed Russian Minister Found Dead Amid Probe

Roman Starovoit, Russia’s transport minister since May 2024 and former governor of the Kursk region, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car in a Moscow suburb, hours after President Vladimir Putin announced his dismissal. Authorities are treating the case as a likely suicide, but the exact timeline and circumstances remain unclear, with some reports indicating he may have died before his official firing. Starovoit was reportedly under criminal investigation for fraud and embezzlement of federal funds for border fortifications, and other officials had testified against him. His firing and death follow major disruptions in Russia's transport sector caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, flight cancellations, and persistent corruption scandals. Russian media link his death to a recent surge in high-profile, mysterious deaths among officials since 2022. The developments highlight intensifying internal power struggles and instability within Putin’s administration amid ongoing war and corruption probes.