Rome’s Starvoid was found dead near a car in the Moscow region after President Vladimir Putin rejected him.
Russia’s top crime investigators are investigating the death of former Transport Minister Romaster Voight, whose body was found wounded by a bullet near his car hours after President Vladimir Putin rejected his post.
Authorities said Monday that the body of a 53-year-old politician was found near an abandoned Tesla vehicle near a park in the Moscow region, with a pistol registered in the name of Starvoite nearby.
The Board of Investigations has opened a lawsuit to determine the full circumstances of his death, suggesting that it could lead to suicide. Russian media citing law enforcement sources said gunshots appear to be self-harm.
However, the timing of his death prompted speculation.
Putin issued an order on Monday, deleting Starvoite as Minister of Transport. No explanation is provided.
Political commentators quickly linked the decision to a long-term corruption investigation in the Kursk region, where Starvoite had previously served as governor.
The investigation centers on whether the 19.4 billion rubles ($246 million) allocated to strengthen Kursk’s border defense in 2022 were embezzled.
The funding was intended to strengthen the Russian frontier in Ukraine, but the Ukrainian forces launched a cross-border attack three months after the term of Starvoit’s minister. This is the biggest invasion since World War II.
In April, his successor, Alexei Smirnov, former vice-chairman of Kursk, was charged with an embezzlement defense fund. Several Russian outlets reported on Monday that Smirnov, who denied the fraud, said investigators also said Starvoit was involved in the alleged fraud.
The incident casts a shadow over Russia’s transportation sector, which is already tackling wartime pressure.
Western sanctions have led the aviation industry to struggle with spare parts, but interest rates have caused financial tensions to Russian railways (the country’s largest employer).
Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone attacks continue to disrupt domestic air traffic, forcing temporary airport closures, leading to logistics uncertainty.
Following Starovoit’s firing, Kremlin announced that Andrei Nikitin, former governor of the Novgorod area, has been appointed acting Minister of Transport. Photos released by state media showed him shaking hands with Putin.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin believes Nikitin has the experience necessary to guide the ministry through current challenges. In a meeting with the President, Nikitin pledged to modernize the sector by strengthening its digital infrastructure to improve cargo flows and cross-border trade.
