Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found dead from a gunshot wound just hours after his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin, in what authorities are calling a Putin suicide. Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed Monday that the 53-year-old died in a Moscow suburb under circumstances they claim point to suicide.
“Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district,” the committee stated. Russian state media immediately echoed the suicide narrative.
Starovoyt’s sudden firing was published hours before his death in a Kremlin decree: “Roman Starovoyt was relieved of the post of Minister of Transport.” Officially, the Kremlin insisted the firing was “not linked to a loss of trust.” Yet, the move came after growing scrutiny tied to corruption investigations during his time as Kursk region governor—where embezzlement of border fortification funds may have triggered a criminal case.
His dismissal also followed widespread travel chaos across Russian airports, blamed on Ukrainian drone strikes—a crisis that put Starovoyt in the crosshairs of public frustration. Putin wasted no time in replacing him, appointing deputy Andrei Nikitin just hours after the announcement.
The case raises serious concerns about internal power struggles inside the Kremlin. Suicide, as claimed, is now the “main version considered,” yet the timing and circumstances tell a darker tale.
