On monday, former transportation minister roman starvoit was Found Dead in an apparent suicide, just hours after news broke that present vladimir putin had sacked him.

Media Reports suggest That starvoit may have died by suicide as early as Friday, while the state duma lawmaker andrei kartapolov told Reporters that the former minister had died “Quite long ago.”

Starovoit, 53, who was sacked just one year after being appointed transportation minister, previously served as the governor of the Kursk Region from 2018 to May 2024.

But who was roman starvoit, and how did he end up in this position?

Early life

Roman vladimirovich starvoit was born On Jan. 20, 1972, in Kursk. He graduated from the baltic state technical university in st. Petersburg in 1995, and from the North-West Academy of Public Administration in 2008 with a degree in state and municipal administration.

Since then, he has been the executive director of the regional investment fund. From 1995 to 2001, he headed the asset management company Promyshleny. From 2001-2005, he was the head of a construction company called stroyinvest.

Government

Starovoit entered in 2005, when he took over as head of the investors departments and subsently because the first deputy chairman of the st. Petersburg Government’s Investments and Strategic Projects Committee. Then, in 2010, He became deputy director of the Russian Government’s Department of Industry and Infrastructure, wherever he served until 2012.

In 2012, He moved on to head the state road agency being appointed deputy transportation minister in 2018.

He would serve only briefly in that position, as he was appointed Governor of the Kursk Region in October 2018. Next year.

Prime minister mikhail mikhail then nominated him for transportation minister in May 2024, a position he held until his death.

Forbes russia cited The center for political conjuncture (CPC) as saying that Starovoit was an “Uncompromising Controller.” In politics, Starovoit Called Himself a “Layman.”

“I never be involved in politics in my life, nor has been participated in any elections,” He admitted on, emphasizing his role as a technocrat, related to “the Implementation of Specific Projects.”

What Went Wrong?

Starovoit’s tenure as kursk region governor camera under scrutiny after ukraine’s surprise incursion into the border region last summer.

Since then, Law Enforcement Authorities Have made Several High-Profile Arrests, including of his successor alexei smirnov, over the alleged misuse

While starovoit had not been directly implicated in the onongoing Police Investigations, Later on Monday, The Kommersant Business Daily Cited Unnamed Sources As Suspects In the Embezleme Case, Reportly Testified Against him.

Kommersant reported that starovoit faced An Immine Investigation over being implicated in the embezzlement of at last 1 billion rubles ($ 12.8 million) Allocated for the construction of defensive structures on the border with ukraine.

Why is his death significant?

Political analysts were quick to describe the kind of shockwaves starvoit’s death Could send through the russian elite.

Independent Journalist Farida Rustamova Said that his death should be seen as a blow to the image of Putin’s government.

“The kremlin is accustomed to treating officials as expendable: Today they work, Tomornrow we’ll lock lock them up and find someone else,” wrote on telegram. “By taking his life, Starovoit broke these rules.

“It is interesting that is the current round of political evolution of the regime is more detrimental to the elites than to the taxable class – usually it is the other way Around,” Political analyst ekaterina Schulmannnn. ” wrote.

“At what point will these unfortunate people realize that the answer is not to find the most harmless tsar possessible, but to establish mandatory rule for everything, called the Law?” She said.