Roman Starovoit, 53, had occupied Russia’s transportation portfolio since May last year
Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit committed suicide on Monday (7) hours after being dismissed by the president, the investigation committee said in a statement. Authorities said Starovoit’s body was found in a suburb of Moscow after the dismissal announcement. Starovoit, 53, had held the position of Minister of Transport of Russia since May last year. Previously, he had been governor of the Kursk region, where Russia faced a Ukrainian foray. “The body of former Russian federation minister Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was found in his car with a bullet injury,” the investigation committee said, ensuring that “the main theory is suicide.” An investigation was opened to “establish” the exact “circumstances” of the former minister’s death, he added.
According to several Russian journalists, the investigators worked Monday afternoon at Odintsovo’s parking lot, where Starovoit’s body was allegedly found outside Moscow, according to an AFP reporter. The authorities did not reveal the exact time of their death. Kremlin had published hours earlier a decree signed by Putin to dismiss Starovoit from his duties without giving more details. His resignation occurred after another weekend of chaos at Russian airports by Ukrainian drone attacks.
Russian state media also speculated that dismissal was related to corruption in the Kursk region and a possible criminal case of diversion of funds intended for fortifying fortifications.
Commenting on the resignation before the death of Starovoit, Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, said he was not related to “a loss of confidence.” Shortly after Kremlin announced the resignation, Putin met with one of the deputies of Starovoit, Andrei Nikitin, to name him interim transportation minister.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Fernando Dias
