Who is Roman Starovoit, former Russian Transport Minister found dead after being fired by Putin

The main hypothesis of the investigators is that he took his own life. According to Russian press, Starovoit was being investigated for his alleged involvement in theft committed during a work in Kursk, where he was governor for 5 years. Roman Starovoit in a photo exactly one month ago, on May 7, 2025 Reuters/Maxim Shemetov/Roman Starovoit file photo, who held the position of Russian Transport Minister, was found dead on Monday (7) hours after being taken from office by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The former minister was 53 years old and his body was in his personal car, with a bullet injury in the urban district of Odintsovo. The main hypothesis of the authorities, according to preliminary investigations is that he took his own life. Born on January 20, 1972, in Kursk, Starovoit was appointed Minister of Transport in May 2024, after spending nearly five years as governor of the region, on the Ukraine border and resumed in March this year after being won by Kiev. According to a source from the Russian media group RBC, the former minister was being investigated for his alleged involvement in theft during the construction of fortifications in Kursk. His successor in charge of the region, Alexey Smirnov, is arrested, accused of fraud worth 1 billion rubles, and he and other defendants would have witnessed against Starovoit. Childhood, formation and beginning of political life Starovoit spent childhood in the Leningrad region after his father, who worked as an engineer at the Kursk Nuclear Plant, was transferred to the Leningrad Nuclear Power plant in 1974. In 1995, he graduated from the Baltic State Technical University, specializing in “pulse thermal engines.” In the same year, he assumed the position of Executive Director of the Regional Investment Agency and, until 2001, was CEO of the asset management company of the non -state pension fund Promyshlenny. Starovoit began his career as a civil servant under the São Petersburg government. In 2005, he assumed the position of Head of the Investor Labor Department of the Investment Project Department and, in 2007, assumed the position of first vice president of the Investment and Strategic Projects Committee. In 2008, he graduated from the Northwest Academy of Public Administration, with a diploma in Public and Municipal Administration. From 2010 to 2012, he was referent and deputy director of the Department of Industry and Infrastructure in the Russian government apparatus. From 2012 to 2018, Starovoit headed Rosavtodor. Vladimir Putin and Roman Starovoit at a meeting at the end of January 2025 Sputnik/Gavril Grigorov/Pool via Reuters before being appointed by Vladimir Putin as interim governor of Kurk on October 11, 2018, Starovoit held the position of Deputy Transportation. In September 2019, he ran for the region’s leadership by the United Russian Party, received 81.07% of the votes and took office. On May 11, 2024, his candidacy was appointed to appoint as Minister of Transport of Russia and, on May 14, the Baixa of Parliament House approved him for the position. Following the invasion of Russia to Ukraine, Starovoit was included in the Sanctions of UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ukraine and the United States. The former minister leaves two daughters. He was divorced from his ex-wife, Svetlana Starovoit, since 2021. He was an active state counselor of the Russian Federation, 1st class, and was awarded the order of honor, the order of Alexandre Nevsky and the order of friendship. ‘Death’ of the opposition is one of the pillars of Putin’s regime Roman’s death according to the newspaper “Izcofaya”, citing an anonymous source, Starovoit threw himself. Several Russian media cited police sources saying that a pistol belonging to him was found next to his body. Preliminary investigations carried out by the Russian Investigative Committee confirm that this is the main hypothesis. The press release states that the former minister’s body was found in his car. “Today, the body of former Russian Federation Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found with a bullet wound in his personal car,” the text says. Putin’s decree did not justify the resignation of Roman Starovoit after just one year in office. Kremlin announced that Andrei Nikitin, according to the ministry’s hierarchy, was appointed interim minister, publishing photos of him tightening Putin’s hand at the headquarters of the Russian government. Andrei Nikitin in official photos with Putin after appointment as interim minister of transport Sputnik/Mikhail Metzel/Pool via Reuters asked about Starovoit’s sudden departure and the rapid appointment of Nikitin, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, said: “At the moment, in the opinion of the president, the professional qualities and the experience of Andrei Nikitin experience They will contribute better to ensure that this agency, that the president has described as extremely important, fulfill his tasks and functions. ” According to a source from the Reuters news agency, Starovoit’s position had been in question for months, not related specifically to transportation issues, but to corruption scandals in Kursk. A few months after Starovoit left the position of governor of the region, Ukrainian troops crossed the border. Some regional authorities were later arrested on charges of abuse of power and, in April this year, Starovoit’s successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was accused of deviation of defense funds.

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