Putin had just signed the dismissal order in the morning. In the afternoon, the Transport Minister killed himself with a bullet in his car on the outskirts of Moscow.
Officials say it was suicide.
Starowayt was officially dismissed on the morning of July 7.
Subsequently, his deputy, Russian Deputy Minister of Communications Nikitin, was appointed acting minister.
However, the Kremlin did not specify the specific reasons for the dismissal. However, from his career experience, we can still see some clues.
Starovoit has served as acting governor of Kursk Region since 2019, and later became governor for several years.
It wasn’t until April 2024 that he was transferred to the federal level as Transport Minister.
He was succeeded as the head of the Kursk Oblast government by smirnov, the former chairman of the state government.
This Smirnov is actually his old subordinate. He became lieutenant governor as early as 2018 and was promoted to first lieutenant governor in 2021. It can be said that he is one of the people Starovoit has trusted most for many years.
But things did not go smoothly.In August 2024, when Staroite had just left Kursk, the state was attacked by Ukrainian troops, and parts of the area were even temporarily occupied by the Ukrainians.
The defence and emergency response in Kursk has all exposed serious problems.
By April 2025, Smirnov was arrested for embezzlement of public funds.
It is said that during the investigation, he also brought Starovoit out, alleging that the former governor also had financial problems while in office.
Although this statement has not been officially confirmed, in Russian politics, such accusations often mean that the official career has come to an end.
Looking at the past few months when he served as Minister of Transport, there has been no major trouble on the surface, but against the background of frequent drone attacks in Ukraine, the Russian aviation industry has repeatedly experienced flight delays and route interruptions.
Although the direct responsibility for these incidents is not in the Ministry of Transport, as the head of the competent department, he should have organized coordination in advance to develop better emergency plans.
Generally speaking, Starovoit's "downfall" seems sudden, but in fact it has been foreshadowed for a long time-the old subordinate had an accident, the local achievements were questioned, and the management performance of the Ministry of Communications was mediocre. The bullet in Starovoit's car did not so much end a person's life as another reminder that the power system that had been running for many years had already gone wrong.
However, this is not the first time that such a warning has sounded. From the 1990s to the present, every few years, someone has always had an "sudden accident", but the machine is still rotating as it is, and the stuck place has never really been repaired.
The official term was "suicide" and there was no fault with the procedures-the evidence at the scene was complete and the investigation was quickly concluded. But Russian society is not surprised by this. People all know that this bullet not only ends the career of an official, but also breaks through the hidden reality: in the circle of power, corruption and interests have long become open secrets, and the supervision mechanism has long existed in name. What really determines the fate of officials is often not their political achievements, but which side they stand on and whom they offend.
Starovoit's death may have been a choice he made, but the problems behind it were beyond personal explanation. In the past two decades, similar "accidents" have occurred repeatedly, from local governors to ministerial officials: some people "fell from a building" because they were involved in economic cases, and some people "had a sudden heart attack" on the eve of the investigation. Every time the official conclusion is the same, and every time the public reaction is the same-sigh, guess, and then forget.
If the loopholes in the system remain unfilled, if the gray area between power and interest remains untouched, then Starovoit's story will not be the last chapter. However, the next person may change positions and locations, but the ending is still similar. These factors superimposed together, which ultimately made it difficult for him to keep his position.
Officials say it was suicide.
Starowayt was officially dismissed on the morning of July 7.
Subsequently, his deputy, Russian Deputy Minister of Communications Nikitin, was appointed acting minister.
However, the Kremlin did not specify the specific reasons for the dismissal. However, from his career experience, we can still see some clues.
Starovoit has served as acting governor of Kursk Region since 2019, and later became governor for several years.
It wasn’t until April 2024 that he was transferred to the federal level as Transport Minister.
He was succeeded as the head of the Kursk Oblast government by smirnov, the former chairman of the state government.
This Smirnov is actually his old subordinate. He became lieutenant governor as early as 2018 and was promoted to first lieutenant governor in 2021. It can be said that he is one of the people Starovoit has trusted most for many years.
But things did not go smoothly.In August 2024, when Staroite had just left Kursk, the state was attacked by Ukrainian troops, and parts of the area were even temporarily occupied by the Ukrainians.
The defence and emergency response in Kursk has all exposed serious problems.
By April 2025, Smirnov was arrested for embezzlement of public funds.
It is said that during the investigation, he also brought Starovoit out, alleging that the former governor also had financial problems while in office.
Although this statement has not been officially confirmed, in Russian politics, such accusations often mean that the official career has come to an end.
Looking at the past few months when he served as Minister of Transport, there has been no major trouble on the surface, but against the background of frequent drone attacks in Ukraine, the Russian aviation industry has repeatedly experienced flight delays and route interruptions.
Although the direct responsibility for these incidents is not in the Ministry of Transport, as the head of the competent department, he should have organized coordination in advance to develop better emergency plans.
Generally speaking, Starovoit's "downfall" seems sudden, but in fact it has been foreshadowed for a long time-the old subordinate had an accident, the local achievements were questioned, and the management performance of the Ministry of Communications was mediocre. The bullet in Starovoit's car did not so much end a person's life as another reminder that the power system that had been running for many years had already gone wrong.
However, this is not the first time that such a warning has sounded. From the 1990s to the present, every few years, someone has always had an "sudden accident", but the machine is still rotating as it is, and the stuck place has never really been repaired.
The official term was "suicide" and there was no fault with the procedures-the evidence at the scene was complete and the investigation was quickly concluded. But Russian society is not surprised by this. People all know that this bullet not only ends the career of an official, but also breaks through the hidden reality: in the circle of power, corruption and interests have long become open secrets, and the supervision mechanism has long existed in name. What really determines the fate of officials is often not their political achievements, but which side they stand on and whom they offend.
Starovoit's death may have been a choice he made, but the problems behind it were beyond personal explanation. In the past two decades, similar "accidents" have occurred repeatedly, from local governors to ministerial officials: some people "fell from a building" because they were involved in economic cases, and some people "had a sudden heart attack" on the eve of the investigation. Every time the official conclusion is the same, and every time the public reaction is the same-sigh, guess, and then forget.
If the loopholes in the system remain unfilled, if the gray area between power and interest remains untouched, then Starovoit's story will not be the last chapter. However, the next person may change positions and locations, but the ending is still similar. These factors superimposed together, which ultimately made it difficult for him to keep his position.