Russia’s former transport minister Roman Starovoyt killed himself, Moscow introduced on Monday, hours after the Kremlin stated President Vladimir Putin had fired him.
Starovoyt, 53, had been Russia’s transport minister for a yr and was beforehand the governor of the border Kursk area, the place Russia had battled a Ukrainian incursion.
His suicide got here as Russia cracks down on some navy and civilian officers within the midst of the Ukraine offensive.
Authorities stated Starovoyt’s physique was discovered within the Moscow suburb of Odintsovo.
“At present, the physique of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was present in his personal automobile with a gunshot wound within the Odintsovo district,” the Investigative Committee stated in a press release.
“The primary model (thought-about) is suicide,” it added.
Russian state media stated Starovoyt shot himself. It was not clear precisely when he did so.
AFP noticed police and investigators at a parking lot, with state media saying Starovoyt dedicated suicide close to his automobile in a busy space close to some house blocks.
Hours earlier, the Kremlin revealed a decree signed by Putin to alleviate Starovoyt of his duties.
It solely stated: “Roman Starovoyt was relieved of the publish of Minister of Transport.”
Starovoyt’s firing got here after one other weekend of journey chaos at Russian airports following Ukrainian drone assaults.
Russian state media speculated the firing was linked to corruption within the Kursk area and a attainable felony case on the embezzlement of funds meant for fortifications within the border area.
– Potential corruption case –
In April this yr, authorities had arrested Alexei Smirnov, who had changed Starovoyt as Kursk governor final yr, on suspicion of embezzling over $12 million of funds earmarked for border defences with Ukraine.
A number of information shops reported that Smirnov had testified towards Starovoyt.
Russia has arrested a sequence of officers for corruption, accusing them of stealing cash meant for defence, throughout the Ukraine offensive.
The Kremlin has not but commented on Starovoyt’s demise.
Earlier than it was introduced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Starovoyt’s firing was “not linked to a lack of belief”.
Shortly after the Kremlin introduced the dismissal, Putin met with one in all Starovoyt’s deputies, Andrei Nikitin, to nominate him as appearing transport minister.
Russia’s decrease home of the parliament, the Duma, is because of vote on approving the appointment on Tuesday.
Starovoyt was a local of the Kursk area and infrequently appeared in public conferences with Putin throughout the Ukraine offensive.
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