Roman Starovoit, Russia's former transport minister, was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, just hours after President Vladimir Putin dismissed him from his post. His body was discovered in his Tesla in a Moscow suburb, with a Makarov pistol, reportedly awarded to him in 2003 for service, found nearby. The Kremlin's decree announcing his dismissal, dated July 7, gave no specific reason for the move. However, Russian media reports, including Forbes, suggest Starovoit may have died as early as Friday evening, July 5, before his dismissal was officially published, raising questions about the precise timeline of events. Andrei Kartapolov, head of the State Duma Defence Committee, told RTVI that Starovoit's death occurred "quite a while ago."

Starovoit had been appointed minister of transport in May 2024. Prior to this, he served as governor of the Kursk region for almost six years, from 2018 to 2024. During his tenure as governor, he oversaw the construction of defensive fortifications on the border with Ukraine following the Russian invasion. This region became a focal point of controversy after Ukrainian troops partly seized it in a surprise offensive in August last year. While Moscow later claimed to have regained full control, Kyiv stated in late June that it still held a small area of territory inside Russia.

The dismissal of Starovoit is widely linked to an ongoing corruption investigation concerning funds earmarked for fortifying the Kursk border. His successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested in April and accused of embezzling over 1 billion roubles (nearly £10 million) designated for these border defenses, which reportedly left Kursk more vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks. According to Russian outlet Kommersant, Starovoit was on the verge of being implicated as a defendant in the same case. Despite the clear implications, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Starovoit's dismissal was due to a "loss of trust," stating that such wording was not used in the presidential decree.

Starovoit's death adds to a growing list of mysterious deaths among prominent Russian figures. Just days prior, Andrey Badalov, 62, vice-president of state-owned oil pipeline monopoly Transneft, died after reportedly falling from a 17th-story window of his luxury Moscow home, with investigators reporting a suicide note. While local media described it as suicide, the incident raised eyebrows, particularly as Badalov had been credited with helping Transneft navigate Western sanctions. In another related incident on the same Monday, Andrei Korneichuk, a senior official at Russia’s federal roads agency, died at work of an apparent heart attack, though no clear connection to Starovoit's death was established.

The pattern of unexplained deaths among Russian elites has been a subject of international scrutiny. These incidents include several high-profile figures dying under suspicious circumstances, such as falling from windows, apparent suicides, or sudden illnesses. Notable cases include Mikhail Rogachev, former vice-president of oil giant Yukos, who died after falling from a window in October; Lukoil tycoon Ravil Maganov, who fell from a hospital window in September 2022; and his successor Vladimir Nekrasov, who died of 'acute heart failure' in October 2023. Other mysterious deaths include Senator Vladimir Lebedev, Lukoil vice-president Vitaly Robertus, judge Natalia Larina, politician Vladimir Egorov, journalist Anna Tsareva, and defence official Marina Yankina. These recurring incidents fuel speculation, particularly when individuals are known to have had professional or political connections that could lead to scrutiny, with many occurring shortly after dismissals or during periods of increased pressure within the Russian establishment.