The Kremlin broke its silence Tuesday on the death of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, who was found dead just hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. Officials say the 51-year-old appears to have died by suicide.
“Naturally, this event shocked us,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters, as quoted by Reuters. “It’s tragic and sad.”
Peskov confirmed that President Putin had been informed of Starovoit’s death but declined to comment further, citing an active investigation.
“It can’t help but shock normal people. Naturally, it shocked us too,” Peskov said. “There’s an investigation underway, and it is this investigation that will answer all the questions.”
Starovoit was found dead in his vehicle in the Odintsovo district outside Moscow on Monday, shortly after a Kremlin decree announced his removal as transport minister. The Investigative Committee of Russia reported he had sustained a gunshot wound and said preliminary findings pointed to suicide, though they continue to probe the circumstances.
No explanation for sudden dismissal
The official decree from the Kremlin gave no reason for Starovoit’s removal, which came less than a year after he was appointed transport minister in 2024. He was replaced by Andrei Nikitin, the former governor of the Novgorod region, who was named acting minister. The Kremlin released photos of Nikitin shaking hands with Putin as he assumed his new role.
Asked why Starovoit had been dismissed, Peskov avoided specifics, saying only that Putin believed Nikitin’s “professional background and experience” would best serve the ministry’s current needs.
Before leading the transport ministry, Starovoit served as governor of Russia’s border Kursk region, a strategically sensitive area that came under Ukrainian attack in August 2024. While he stepped down prior to the incursion, he reportedly faced criticism over the region’s preparedness and security.
Timing raises questions
Starovoit’s abrupt dismissal and subsequent death come at a pivotal moment for Russia’s infrastructure and transport sector, which has been strained by the ongoing war with Ukraine. The country’s aviation sector is grappling with a shortage of spare parts due to international sanctions, and its railways are burdened with rising borrowing costs.
Two sources in Russia’s transportation industry told Reuters that the decision to replace Starovoit had been in the works since before last month’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, suggesting his ousting was not entirely unexpected within government circles.
While the investigation into Starovoit’s death continues, his sudden fall from power — and the tragic end that followed — has sent ripples through Moscow’s political elite.
