Ex-Russian transport minister found dead with gunshot wound

Former Russian Minister of Transport, Roman Starovoyt, has been found dead with a gunshot wound in a house in Odintsovo, a suburb of Moscow, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Starovoyt was recently named in testimony by Alexey Smirnov, another former Kursk governor, who is currently under arrest. Smirnov was detained in April on charges of embezzling at least 1 billion roubles ($12.7 million) intended for the construction of defensive fortifications along the Russia–Ukraine border.  

Starovoyt’s death comes just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his ministerial post. He had held the position since May 2024, following a term as governor of the Kursk Region.

By Khagan Isayev