Russian Ex-Transport Minister Dies by Suicide After Dismissal as Kremlin Faces Series of Crises
- Victor Nwoko
- Jul 8
- 3 min read
Roman Starovoit, former Russian Minister of Transport and ex-governor of the Kursk region, died by suicide on Monday just hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his post, according to Russian officials.
Starovoit’s removal was announced Monday morning via a presidential decree published on the Kremlin’s official website. Deputy Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin was appointed as acting minister. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied Starovoit was dismissed due to a “lack of trust” but did not provide an alternate explanation.
By Tuesday, Peskov addressed the sudden death, calling it “shocking” and “tragic.” He stated that the Kremlin, like the public, was “deeply affected” by the news, while urging against speculation until the investigation concluded.
Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed that Starovoit’s body was found inside a car in Odintsovo, a suburb west of Moscow, with a fatal gunshot wound. Officials stated that suicide is the leading theory, though all circumstances are under investigation.
Adding to the day's grim events, another Transport Ministry official, Andrey Korneichuk, 42, died unexpectedly at his workplace on Monday. Korneichuk worked for the Federal Agency for Rail Transport. Preliminary reports cited “acute heart failure” as the possible cause of death, and there is no current indication the two deaths are connected.
Starovoit, 52, had been appointed transport minister in May 2024 after previously serving as governor of the Kursk region. His tenure came under scrutiny after a wave of Ukrainian drone and missile strikes exposed vulnerabilities in border security. Though he left the governorship before a surprise Ukrainian incursion, he was partially blamed for the region's lack of fortifications.
Russian media outlets reported that Starovoit was under investigation for allegedly embezzling federal funds meant for defensive construction projects in the Kursk region. Reports indicated he may have been facing arrest in connection with the same corruption case that led to the April detention of his former deputy and successor, Alexei Smirnov.
Starovoit’s dismissal came during a period of turbulence in Russia’s transportation infrastructure. The Russian Federal Agency for Air Transport reported widespread disruption over the weekend and into Monday, with 485 flights canceled, 88 diverted, and 1,900 delayed. The agency cited "external interference" without elaborating, though the Ministry of Defense acknowledged intercepting more than 400 Ukrainian long-range strikes during the same period.
Ukrainian forces also claimed to have struck a chemical plant in Krasnozavodsk, north of Moscow, that reportedly produces pyrotechnics and thermobaric warheads for Iranian-designed Shahed drones.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks in Ukraine have escalated. Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 12 civilians were killed and over 90 injured in the 24 hours leading up to Monday morning.
In Kharkiv, 29 people, including three children aged 3, 7, and 11, were injured when Russian drones struck residential and commercial zones early Monday. Another wave of drones hit the same city five hours later, injuring 17 more people. Mayor Ihor Terekhov confirmed that civilian infrastructure—including a kindergarten—was among the damaged sites.
Ukraine’s Air Force said Russia launched 101 Shahed-type drones and four surface-to-air missiles within the same period. Ukrainian defense systems reportedly shot down or electronically disabled 75 of the drones.
Additionally, Ukraine's Land Forces reported that two military recruitment offices were struck by drones on Monday. These were the latest in a growing pattern of such attacks, with six draft offices hit in just over a week. Officials suspect Russia is targeting enlistment infrastructure to disrupt Ukrainian military mobilization. At least two people have been killed and over a dozen injured in these strikes.
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