Russian ex-minister found dead hours after being sacked by Putin

Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead with a gunshot wound in his car just hours after it was revealed he had been sacked from his role.

Mr Starovoit, the ex-governor of the Kursk region, is reported to have taken his own life.

The report of his death comes after he was dismissed from his transport role by President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement on Monday, the Investigative Committee of Russia said: "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 circumstances surrounding Mr Starovoit's death are being investigated, with the statement adding: "The main version is suicide."

Earlier on Monday, it was revealed Mr Putin had fired Mr Starovoit after barely a year in the job.

Mr Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine.

A few months after he left his role as governor, Ukrainian troops spilled over the border into Kursk as Kyiv launched the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since the Second World War.

Ukrainian forces were pushed out of Kursk earlier this year.

Some regional officials in Kursk were subsequently arrested on abuse of office charges.

In April, Mr Starovoit's successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes.

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Mr Starovoit's death joins a long list of other top Russians amid the country's continued war with Ukraine.

Other alleged suicides have included oil bosses plunging from windows and unexpected fatal accidents.

Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, has been appointed acting transport minister.

When earlier asked about Mr Starovoit's sudden departure, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "At present, in the president's opinion, Andrei Nikitin's professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions."