Former Russian Transport Minister Found Dead Near Moscow

Roman Starovoit, Russia’s recently dismissed minister of transport and former governor of the Kursk region, has been found dead from a gunshot wound in a private residence in Odintsovo, a town just outside Moscow.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation, but the discovery comes amid an ongoing corruption scandal involving state infrastructure funds, The Caspian Post reports via Russian media.

Notably, Alexey Smirnov, another former Kursk governor, is reported to have testified against Starovoit in a high-profile embezzlement case. Smirnov was arrested in April on charges of misappropriating over 1 billion rubles earmarked for constructing defense fortifications along the Russian-Ukrainian border.

Just hours before the news broke, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree formally removing Starovoit from his post as transport minister.

Starovoit had held the position since May 2024, following his tenure as governor of Kursk Oblast.