Sacked Russian Transport Minister Found Dead With Gunshot Wound Hours After Putin Fired Him

Russian’s Transport Minister was found dead, hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Investigators said on Monday (July 7, 2025) that he apparently killed himself.

The Kremlin did not give a reason for the firing of Roman Starovoit, who served as Transport Minister since May 2024, and it was unclear when exactly he died and whether it was related to an alleged embezzlement case, as some Russian media suggested.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, the top criminal investigation agency, said the body of Starovoit, 53, was found with a gunshot wound in his car parked in Odintsovo, a neighbourhood just west of the capital where members of Russia’s elite live. A gun previously presented to him as an official gift was found next to his body.