- Putin insider Roman Starovoit has been found dead In the car in the outskirts of Moscow. Russian authorities say it could be suicide. Since 2022, dozens of “suicides” have been committed among Orbit Putin’s political and business elite.
Russia’s recently deported transport minister Roman Starovoit is Found dead Vladimir Putin suddenly dismissed his hours on Monday, with a gunshot wound in his car just in the outskirts of Moscow. Russian authorities have conducted an investigation. Suicide cited As the main theory.
Starovoit, 53, was removed from his post by Russian President Putin after just one year of office. Before being appointed as Minister of Transport in May 2024, he served as governor of the Kursk region, a border area that is crucial to Russia’s logistics and military operations. His sacking comes in the ongoing crisis of transportation Extensive flight cancellation It is related to Ukrainian drone attacks at the Leningrad port and a large amount of ammonia leaks.
The Kremlin has no reason to designate his removal, but reports suggest Starovoit may face imminent Criminal Investigation Related to alleged inappropriate budgets during his governorship.
“Sudden Russian Death Syndrome”
Since 2022 Dozens of outstanding Russians– Often in many areas of the energy, finance and infrastructure sector at the director or chairman level, their way of death has inspired speculation about internal power struggles, corruption investigations, and the Kremlin’s changing loyalty. Starovoit is Putin’s fourth minister Death during that period.
Starovoit’s sudden death is not only notable for its timing (a few hours after his dismissal), but also for its resonance of its disturbing patterns among the Russian elite. In recent years, a series of high-profile officials, oligarchs and business leaders closely linked to the Kremlin have died in a mysterious or violent environment. These events are often labeled as “sudden Russian death syndrome” and include obvious suicides, window drops, and unexplained accidents.
The episode highlights the instability of Putin’s elite identity in Russia, which is an unpredictable consequence for those who lose the trust of the president.
For this story, Fortune uses generated AI to aid in the first draft. The editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.
