Main points
- Roman Starovoit, former Russian Minister of Transport, committed suicide on July 7, 2025, after being dismissed from his post.
- Starovoit held various government positions, including governor of the Kursk region, and was sanctioned for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- The suicide may be related to a corruption case in which he was involved, in which he faced up to 20 years in prison.
Biography of Roman Starovoit / Photo by Russian media
Roman Starovoit committed suicide on July 7, several hours after being dismissed from his post as the Russian Minister of Transport. At the time of his death, the former minister was a defendant in a criminal case.
It is known that Starovoit headed the Kursk region for several years. Channel 24 tells about the life of the Russian official.
Who is Roman Starovoit?
Roman Starovoit is a Russian politician. He was born in Kursk on January 20, 1972. Two years later, his father was transferred to work in the Leningrad region, where Starovoit spent his childhood.
In 1995 he graduated from the Baltic State Technical University “Voenmekh”. In 2008 he studied at the North-West Academy of Public Administration.
Roman Starovoit was married, but divorced in 2021. He has two children. According to Russian media, he had been in a relationship with a medical university graduate for at least the last year. Kursk residents called her the “first lady” of the city.
Worked in government agencies
In 2002-2005, the former minister was the general director of Stroyinvest. Until 2010, he was the first deputy chairman of the Investment Committee of the Government of St. Petersburg.
Since 2010, he held the position of Deputy Director of the Department of Industry and Infrastructure of the Russian Government. Subsequently, he headed Rosavtodor.
After 8 years, he became Deputy Minister of Transport of Russia. And already in May 2024, he headed the ministry. However, on July 7, 2025, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin fired Starovoit from his post. The reason was allegedly the collapse at Russian airports due to a drone attack.
He was the governor of the Kursk region.
In October 2018, Starovoit was appointed acting governor of the Kursk region. A year later, he headed the region. He held the post for 5 years.
Interestingly, since July 2022, Starovoit has been under sanctions from the UK, Canada, the US, Ukraine, Australia and New Zealand. They were imposed for supporting Russia's invasion of Ukraine and calling for mobilization.
Shot himself after being fired: what was the reason
The former minister committed suicide on July 7, 2025. He did it near his own car in the village of Myakinino near Moscow. That's where he lived.
Russian media reports that Roman Starovoit shot himself with an award weapon that he received in 2023 from the leadership of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
According to one version, the suicide may be connected with a criminal case in which he was named as a corrupt official. The testimony was given by the former governor of the Kursk region, Alexey Smirnov.
If this case were opened, Starovoit would have faced up to 20 years in prison.
