Roman Starovoit had previously served as the governor of Kursk Region, where a corruption investigation unfolded after his tenure

Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit has committed suicide hours after being dismissed from his post by President Vladimir Putin. Russia's Investigative Committee confirmed on Monday that Starovoit's body was found in a private car in Moscow Region with a gunshot wound.

Prior to taking over the Transport Ministry, Starovoit served as governor of Kursk Region. According to RBC, Starovoit's dismissal may have been tied to corruption scandals in the border region since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022. Widespread theft of funds earmarked for defense construction led to over 20 arrests, including Starovoit's former deputy, Aleksey Dedov, and successor, Aleksey Smirnov.

RBC sources said Starovoit was expected to be implicated given that the construction of defense structures began under his watch.

"It all depended on what the arrested suspects say," one federal official noted. "He was bound to be a witness - either he ignored what was happening or covered it up."

A source close to the presidential administration told RBC that law enforcement had planned to question Starovoit about the case.

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