Russian Minister’s Death Hours After Putin’s Firing Sparks Questions

In a shocking turn of events, Roman Starovoyt, Russia’s former transport minister and ex-governor of the Kursk region, was found dead from a gunshot wound in his car mere hours after President Vladimir Putin sacked him from his ministerial post. The 53-year-old’s death, which Russia’s Investigative Committee is probing as a possible suicide, has raised eyebrows across Moscow’s political circles.

Starovoyt’s tenure as governor of Kursk, a region rocked by Ukraine’s bold 2024 incursion, was marked by scrutiny over border security failures. His brief stint as transport minister, starting in May 2024, ended abruptly with Putin’s decree. Reports suggest Starovoyt sensed his dismissal was imminent, leaving his office without farewells, locking himself in briefly before departing. By 10 a.m., he was gone—found later by his girlfriend, Polina Korneeva, in an upscale Moscow suburb.

The Kursk invasion exposed Russia’s vulnerabilities, forcing Moscow to lean on allies like North Korea for military support. Putin’s swift rebuke of regional mismanagement led to arrests for alleged embezzlement of border defense funds. Yet, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov brushed off claims that Starovoyt’s firing stemmed from a loss of confidence, leaving more questions than answers in this grim chapter of Russia’s political saga.