Dismissed Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was reportedly found dead in his apartment, BBC reported. He was earlier in the day fired by President Vladimir Putin. No specific reason was given for the removal of the minister.
Starovoit was appointed as Transport Minister in May 2024 after spending nearly five years as the governor of Russia's western Kursk region.
Starovoit has been replaced by the Deputy Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin, who was formerly the governor of the Novgorod Region. According to the Russian business paper, Vedomosti, the decision to replace Starovoit was made “several months ago.”
The Moscow Times reported that the Kremlin published a video of the president meeting with Nikitin, telling the new appointee: “I hope you will apply all your energy, knowledge, skills and organisational abilities to tackle the critical challenges facing this sector.”
Starovoit’s Career
Putin had appointed Starovoit to lead the Transportation Ministry in May 2024 after he was elected as president for another six-year term. Starovoit previously served as governor of the southwestern Kursk region near the Ukrainian border from 2018 to 2024.
His tenure as governor drew renewed scrutiny following Ukraine’s surprise incursion into the Kursk region in August 2024. According to the Moscow Times, law enforcement authorities have made several high-profile arrests, including that of his successor Alexi Smirnov, over alleged corruption in the construction of border fortifications at the time.
Starovoit was not directly implicated in the police investigations. However, Russian media reported that the breached border defences, built during his time as governor, cost nearly 15 billion rubles (around $191 million) and took nearly three years to construct. The media pointed out his shortcomings during his time in office.
Moscow Times reports, political analyst Yevgeny Minchenko called Starovoit’s dismissal “predictable,” adding that “the Kursk region situation has caught up with him.” Michenko also described Nikitin as a “conservative” candidate for his replacement.
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