What happened to Roman Starovoit? Putin’s sacked aide found dead after billion-Ruble scandal

According to Russian daily newspaper Kommersant, Starovoit was discovered with a gunshot wound in his car in Odintsovo, a town outside Moscow. (Image credit: Reuters)

In a dramatic turn of events, Roman Starovoit, a prominent Russian politician and former transport minister, was found dead by suicide just hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, multiple Russian media outlets have reported.

According to Russian daily newspaper Kommersant, Starovoit was discovered with a gunshot wound in his car in Odintsovo, a town outside Moscow. Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed his death and said the initial evidence points to suicide, though an official investigation is ongoing.

Starovoit had only recently been appointed as Russia’s transport minister, but prior to that, he was the governor of Kursk, a key region bordering Ukraine, from 2019 to 2024. His abrupt dismissal on Monday morning raised eyebrows, and by the afternoon, his death had plunged Russian political circles into shock.

Andrey Kartapolov, head of the State Duma’s Defense Committee, told reporters that the former minister had died by suicide.

The suicide comes amid a major corruption investigation tied to Starovoit’s time as Kursk governor. According to Russian outlet 112, Alexey Smirnov, Starovoit’s former deputy and current governor of Kursk, has testified against him in a high-profile criminal case.

Smirnov is currently in pre-trial detention, accused of embezzling over one billion rubles from the regional budget. The money was allegedly siphoned off during the construction of defensive fortifications along the border with Ukraine, a project Starovoit oversaw while in office.

While Starovoit had not been formally charged, reports suggest he was under increasing scrutiny by investigators. His death came just as the case appeared to be escalating.