Sacked by Putin, Russian minister ends life with awarded gun

In a shocking incident, Russia's former transport minister, Roman Starovoit, shot himself dead from a gun he was awarded hours after President Vladimir Putin sacked him.

According to a report from the Daily Mail, the minister was found dead in his private car in the village of Myakinino, in the Odintsovo district of Moscow region. A firearm was recovered near his body.


"Today, the body of former Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found in his private car with a gunshot wound in the Odintsovo district," the Investigative Committee said in a statement.

"Suicide" is being considered as the most likely cause of death.

"The main version (considered) is suicide," it added.

Meanwhile, no reason was given for his dismissal. However, commenting on the firing, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said it was "not linked to a loss of trust".

Kremlin published a decree signed by the president to relieve Starovoyt of his duties. It only said: "Roman Starovoyt was relieved of the post of minister of transport."

After sacking Starovoyt, his deputy, Andrey Nikitin, was appointed as acting transport minister.

According to Dailymail, Starovoit used the gun that was awarded to him in 2023 by the leadership of the ministry of internal affairs.

His sacking followed cancellations and delays of hundreds of flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St Petersburg's Pulkovo airports over the weekend.

According to the report, travellers had to suffer massive wait times as Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted the functioning. It also impacted other airports in western and central Russia.

Between Saturday and Sunday, around 485 flights were cancelled and 1,900 services were delayed.