Starovoit, Former Minister of Transport, Found Dead
Cause of Death Under Investigation, No Suspicion of Foul Play
Sudden Dismissal Amid 'Aviation Chaos' Triggered by Ukrainian Threats
The former Russian Minister of Transport was found dead not long after his dismissal. According to Yonhap News, citing TASS on the 7th (local time), the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation stated, "Roman Starovoit, the former Minister of Transport, was found dead in his personal vehicle in Odintsovo, Moscow Region." Gunshot wounds were discovered on his body. While the cause of death is under investigation, there are reportedly no indications of foul play.
Roman Starovoit, former Russian Minister of Transport, was found dead on the 7th (local time). Reuters Yonhap News
Starovoit was dismissed from his post earlier that morning. He had served as governor of the border region Kursk for about six years since October 2018, before being appointed Minister of Transport in May last year. However, he was removed from the position after just over a year. Russian President Vladimir Putin appointed Deputy Minister of Transport Andrey Nikitin as acting Minister of Transport. Nikitin can be formally appointed as minister upon approval by the State Duma (lower house).
The reason for Starovoit's sudden replacement has not been disclosed. However, some analysts suggest that the recent "aviation chaos" across Russia, triggered by the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks over the weekend, may have influenced his dismissal. According to Russian aviation authorities, from the 5th until the morning of the 7th, 485 flights were canceled, 1,900 were delayed, and 88 were diverted to alternative airports due to restrictions imposed in response to external interference. As a result, 43,000 tickets were refunded, 94,000 passengers were provided with accommodations, 199,000 drink coupons and 155,000 meal coupons were distributed, causing major disruptions.
Airports in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, the busiest regions in Russia, suffered even greater losses during the holiday season. The Russian daily Kommersant estimated that airlines could incur losses of 20 billion rubles (approximately 348 billion won) due to the aviation crisis. However, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "The dismissal was not related to a loss of trust."
There is also speculation that Starovoit's dismissal may be linked to a corruption case in Kursk. His successor as governor, Alexey Smirnov, was detained in April on charges of embezzling funds allocated for the construction of regional defense facilities.
Additionally, some analysts believe that his dismissal had been planned for a long time as part of an organizational restructuring. Vitaly Savelyev, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of transport and a former Minister of Transport, mentioned at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) last month that the Ministry of Transport could be transformed into the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Logistics, according to RIA Novosti. Acting Minister Nikitin previously served as governor of Novgorod from 2017 and was appointed Deputy Minister of Transport in February. He was responsible for digital transformation, informatization, and automation within the ministry.
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