Roman Starovoyt, Russia’s former transport minister, died by suicide on Monday just hours after President Vladimir Putin announced his dismissal. Authorities said Starovoyt was found dead in his car with a gunshot wound in a suburb of Moscow.
According to Russian news agencies cited by AFP, Starovoyt shot himself shortly after news of his removal became public.
“Today, the body of the former Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Starovoyt, was found with a gunshot wound in his personal car,” Russia’s Investigative Committee confirmed in a statement.
Starovoyt’s dismissal came roughly a year after he was appointed to the post. A presidential decree announced his removal, though it did not specify the reason behind the decision.
He has been replaced by Deputy Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as acting minister.
