INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Former Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit was discovered dead on Monday in an apparent suicide, just hours after the Kremlin suddenly
revealed that President Vladimir Putin had actually dismissed him.A spokesperson from Russias Investigative Committee, which probes major
criminal offenses, saidStarovoits body was found in his parking area in a Moscow suburb.The spokeswoman stated that authorities
investigatorsare operating at the scene to figure out the cause of death, adding that initial findings point to suicide
Unofficial reports in the Russian press claimed the ex-ministers body was really discovered on Saturday.PutindismissedStarovoit just over a
year after selecting him, according to a decree released early Monday on the Kremlins site
The decree, which took instant result, did not define the reason for Starovoits removal.Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov laterdismissed
claims that the ex-minister had actually fallen out of favor with Putin.The presidentreplaced Starovoit withDeputy Transportation Minister
Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as acting transport minister
According to anonymous sources cited by the organization paper Vedomosti, the decision to change Starovoit was made a number of months
ago.Later on Monday, the Kremlin released a video of the president conference with Nikitin, telling the brand-new appointee: I hope you will
use all your energy, understanding, abilities and organizational capabilities to deal with the critical challenges facing this
sector.Nikitin resigned as guv of the northwestern Novgorod area in February to assume the deputy role.Putin had tapped Starovoit to lead
the Transportation Ministry in May 2024 after he was chosen as president for another six-year term
Before that, Starovoit functioned as guv of the southwestern Kursk region from 2018 to 2024
His period as guv drew renewed examination following Ukraines surprise incursion into the Kursk area last August
Since then, law enforcement authorities have actually made several prominent arrests, consisting of that of his follower Alexi Smirnov, over
the alleged abuse of public funds.Smirnov and his previous deputy Alexei Dedov were detained in April andaccusedof embezzling 1 billion
rubles ($12.7 million) from the Kursk Region Development Corporation that was implied to be used for constructing defense fortifications
along the border with Ukraine.While Starovoit had actually not been directly linked in the ongoing police examinations, in the future
Monday, the Kommersant company paper, pointing out unnamed sources, reported that suspects in the embezzlement case, including Smirnov,
recently affirmed against him.Russian media previously reported that the breached border defenses, completedduringStarovoits time as
governor, expense practically 15 billion rubles ($190 million) and took nearly 3 years to construct.Despite the large sums that entered into
developing the strongholds, Ukrainian forces still handled to introduce their attack and quickly take large swaths of the Kursk region last
summer season, dealing with little resistance.Political expert Yevgeny Minchenko called Starovoits dismissal predictable, including thatthe
Kursk area circumstance has overtaken him
Michenko also describedNikitin as aconservative candidate for his replacement.
