Roman Starovoyt, Russia's former transport minister, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car shortly after being dismissed by President Putin. The Investigative Committee stated that suicide is the main theory explored. No reasons were provided for his dismissal in a decree issued in Moscow. Starovoyt, appointed transport minister in May of the previous year, had served as the governor of the Kursk region. His deputy, Andrey Nikitin, has taken on the role of acting transport minister following his death.
"Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district. The main version [considered] is suicide," it added.
A decree published in Moscow gave no reason for Starovoit leaving his post. Starovoit's deputy, Andrey Nikitin, has been appointed acting transport minister.
The former governor of the western Russian region of Kursk had been appointed transport minister in May last year. His successor as governor of the Kursk region, Alexei Smirnov, has been detained for alleged fraud.
Russian commentators have also pointed to chaos at airports as a possible factor in his dismissal, with hundreds of flights canceled because of frequent Ukrainian drone attacks during the holiday season.
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