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The Kremlin said it was "shocked" by the sudden death of former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, news of which was announced just hours after he was fired by President Vladimir Putin.
Starovoit was found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound and the initial suspicion is that he committed suicide, state investigators announced yesterday.
Asked about Starovoi's death, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Putin had been informed of the incident and described it as "tragic and sad."
Peskov refused to speculate on the causes of the former minister's death, citing the ongoing investigation.
"It cannot help but shock ordinary people. Of course, it shocked us too. An investigation is underway. And it is this investigation that will provide answers to all questions," Peskov said.
The presidential decree dismissing Starovoit, published yesterday, gave no reason for the minister's dismissal after just one year in office, although political analysts were quick to raise speculation that he was dismissed in connection with a corruption investigation in the region he once headed.
Before being appointed Minister of Transport in May 2024, Starovoit was governor of the Kursk region for almost five years.
Reuters could not independently confirm the allegations, although a shipping industry source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Starovoi's position had been in question for months due to questions about the same corruption scandal, which centered on funds intended to strengthen Russia's border with Ukraine in the Kursk region.
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