Latest news with #AndreiNikitin
News24
5 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Fired Russia minister found dead hours later, as rumours of corruption swirl
Russian leader Vladimir Putin fired transport minister Roman Starovoit. Hours later, Starovoit was found dead in his car. Andrei Nikitin was appointed acting transport minister. Russia's sacked transport minister has been found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound and the principal hypothesis is that he took his own life, state investigators said on Monday, hours after President Vladimir Putin fired him. A presidential decree published earlier on Monday gave no reason for the dismissal of Roman Starovoit, 53, after barely a year in the job, though political analysts were quick to raise the possibility that he may have been dismissed in connection with an investigation into corruption in the region he once ran. Reuters could not independently confirm these suggestions, though a transport industry source, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Starovoit's position had been in question for months due to questions about the same corruption scandal. That investigation centres on whether 19.4 billion roubles ($246 million) earmarked in 2022 for fortifying Russia's border with Ukraine in the Kursk region was properly spent or whether some of that money was embezzled. Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said in a statement it was working to establish the precise circumstances of Starovoit's death. READ | Russia attacks on Kharkiv hurts 27 as Ukraine withdraws from landmine treaty A pistol belonging to Starovoit, who was divorced with two daughters, had been found near his body, various Russian media outlets cited law enforcement sources as saying. Some Russian media, citing law enforcement sources, also said his body had been found with a gunshot wound to the head in bushes near his car, a Tesla, rather than in the car itself. The vehicle was left near a park not far from his home in the Moscow region. Before being appointed transport minister in May 2024, Starovoit had been governor of the Kursk region for nearly five years. Three months after he became transport minister, Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Kursk in the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since World War Two and were only pushed out earlier this year after fierce fighting and widespread destruction. In April this year, Starovoit's successor as governor and his former deputy, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes amid accusations that funds intended for border defences had been stolen, leaving Kursk more vulnerable to Ukrainian attack. Various Russian media outlets reported on Monday that Smirnov had told state investigators that Starovoit had also been in on the fraud. Reuters could not confirm that, and a lawyer for Smirnov - who has pleaded not guilty to embezzlement - told the state RIA news agency that he couldn't comment. Starovoit's dismissal comes at a time of significant challenges for Russia's transport sector as the war in Ukraine drags on for a fourth year. Russia's aviation sector is short of spare parts and Russian Railways, the country's largest employer, is grappling with soaring interest costs as high rates - needed to curb higher inflation exacerbated by the war - take their toll. Jose Colon/Anadolu via Getty Images Long-range Ukrainian drones also frequently force Russian airports to suspend their activities for safety reasons, sometimes causing major disruption. The Kremlin said Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, had been appointed acting transport minister, and it published photographs of him shaking hands with Putin in the Kremlin. Asked about Nikitin's swift appointment, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Putin thought Nikitin had the right professional qualities and experience for the job. The transport ministry declined to comment. At his meeting with Putin, Nikitin spoke about working to digitise Russia's transport industry in an effort to reduce cargo bottlenecks and ensure smoother cross-border flows of goods.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Russian minister sacked by Putin found dead
Russia's Investigative Committee says former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, apparently with a self-inflicted gunshot was dismissed earlier on Monday by President Vladimir reason for Starovoit's dismissal was given and deputy transport minister Andrei Nikitin was announced as his replacement shortly Investigative Committee said it was working to establish the circumstances of the incident. Starovoit was appointed minister of transport in May 2024. Before becoming transport minister Starovoit had served as governor of the Kursk region for almost nine years, until May 2024. The region was partly seized by Ukrainian troops in August 2024 in a surprise offensive. Moscow only managed to drive out the Ukrainian forces, although in late June Kyiv said it was still holding a small area of territory inside successor, Aleksey Smirnov, was only in post for a short while. He was arrested in April and was later accused of embezzling funds that had been allocated for the building of fortifications on the border with Ukraine. According to Russian outlet Kommersant, Starovoit was about to be brought in as a defendant in the same case. It is unclear when, exactly, Starovoit died. The head of the State Duma Defense Committee, Andrei Kartapolov, told Russian outlet RTVI that his death occurred "quite a while ago".Earlier on Monday, before Starovoit's death was announced, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was pressed by reporters on whether the dismissal meant Putin had lost trust in Starovoit over the events in Kursk."A loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust. Such wording was not used [in the Kremlin decree]," Peskov replied.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Russia's Ex-Transport Minister Kills Self Hours After Putin Fired Him
Moscow: Russia's former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit killed himself on Monday, hours after President Vladimir Putin fired him from the job. Starovoyt shot himself in a Moscow suburb after the dismissal was announced, Russian news agencies reported. The country's Investigative Committee said his body was found in his car. Putin's decree, published on Russia's legal information portal, gave no reason for the dismissal of Starovoit after barely a year on the job. He was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as the governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, had been appointed acting transport minister, the Kremlin said. Asked about Starovoit's sudden departure and Nikitin's swift appointment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "At present, in the president's opinion, Andrei Nikitin's professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions." Two transport industry sources told Reuters that plans to replace Starovoit with Nikitin had been in the works since before last month's International Economic Forum in St Petersburg. Starovoit's dismissal followed a series of high-profile disruptions to Russia's aviation and shipping sectors. Days before his departure, nearly 300 flights were grounded at major Russian airports on July 5-6 due to security threats from Ukrainian drone attacks. Adding to the turmoil, an explosion occurred aboard a tanker at the Ust-Luga port in Leningrad Oblast. The blast caused an ammonia leak on July 6, prompting an emergency response. But, a transport industry source told Reuters that Starovoit's position had been in question for months, linked not to transport issues specifically but to the corruption scandals in Kursk. A few months after he left his role as governor of the Kursk Region, Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Kursk as Kyiv launched the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since World War Two. Ukrainian forces were pushed out of Kursk earlier this year. Some regional officials in Kursk were subsequently arrested on abuse of office charges. In April this year, Starovoit's successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoit found dead 'with gunshot wound'
Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead with a gunshot wound in his car just hours after it was revealed he had been sacked from his role. Mr Starovoit, the ex-governor of the Kursk region, is reported to have taken his own life. The report of his death comes after he was dismissed from his transport role by President Vladimir Putin. In a statement on Monday, the Investigative Committee of said: "The body of the former minister of transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit, was discovered in his personal vehicle with a gunshot wound today in the Odintsovo city district." The circumstances surrounding Mr Starovoit's death are being investigated, with the statement adding: "The main version is suicide." Earlier on Monday, it was revealed Mr Putin had fired Mr Starovoit after barely a year in the job. Mr Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine. A few months after he left his role as governor, Ukrainian troops spilled over the border into Kursk as Kyiv launched the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since the Second World War. Ukrainian forces were pushed out of Kursk earlier this year. Some regional officials in Kursk were subsequently arrested on abuse of office charges. In April, Mr Starovoit's successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes. Read more from Sky News: Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, has been appointed acting transport minister. When earlier asked about Mr Starovoit's sudden departure, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "At present, in the president's opinion, Andrei Nikitin's professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Putin fires Russian transport minister after drones disrupt air travel
July 7 (UPI) -- The Kremlin announced Monday that Russia's transport minister has been terminated. There wasn't any official reason given for why Roman Vladimirovich Starovoit was fired from his post, but he was immediately replaced by Andrei Sergeevich Nikitin, according to a statement released Monday. The move did come after a weekend that saw a great deal of transportation issues as Ukrainian drone attacks led to the cancellation of 485 flights by Russian airlines, while 1,900 were delayed and nearly 90 needed to be redirected. Airlines were forced to refund 43,000 tickets, place 94,000 people in hotels and spend around $4,500 on food and drink for customers. A report from the website Kommersant states that in the end the issues will combine to cost approximately $255 million. However, Russia also attacked Ukraine with drones Sunday evening into Monday morning, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted to X Monday that 101 drones were launched by Russia, which left one person dead and 27 injured. "We are also actively advancing agreements on investing in our domestic weapons production, including all types of drones," he wrote.
