“The body of the former minister of transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit, was discovered in his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound today…”
Russia’s former transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead with a gunshot wound in his car just hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his role.
The Investigative Committee of Russia said Monday: “The body of the former minister of transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit, was discovered in his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound today in the Odintsovo city district.”
“The main version is suicide,” the statement added, as authorities began a formal investigation.
Mr Starovoit, 53, was sacked earlier on Monday after barely a year in the post. He previously served nearly five years as governor of the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine and saw heavy fighting last year.
Several Kursk officials have been arrested on abuse-of-office and embezzlement charges in recent months.
In April, his successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling defence funds, amid wider corruption probes linked to wartime spending.
Mr Starovoit’s death adds to turmoil in Russia’s regional leadership.