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Straits Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Minister's death spooks Russian elite amid corruption clampdown
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Russia's former transport minister Roman Starovoyt, who died by suicide, was buried in St Petersburg on July 11. – The reported suicide of Russia's transport minister hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, sparking speculation he would be arrested on corruption charges, has shaken the country's elite. Mr Roman Starovoyt was buried in Saint Petersburg on July 11, with his family weeping at his open coffin before it was lowered into the ground. The 53-year-old was found dead in his car on July 7 in an elite Moscow suburb, hours after Mr Putin issued a decree to fire him, with no explanation. Russian investigators say he shot himself. Media reports said he was being investigated for corruption and could have been arrested within days. While government departments sent flowers and some ministers attended a memorial ceremony in Moscow a day earlier, there was unease over the fate of Mr Starovoyt, who climbed the ranks of Russia's bureaucracy to a seat in the Cabinet. 'It's a great loss. Very unexpected,' said Ms Valentina, a 42-year-old translator whose husband worked with Mr Starovoyt. 'He was very active, cheerful and loved life very much. I don't know how it happened.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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His successor was arrested in the spring for embezzling funds intended to beef up the fortifications that Ukraine ended up slicing through with ease. 'They tried to make him the scapegoat… It's easier to put the blame on a civilian official,' political commentator Andrey Pertsev said. The case is one part of a wider crackdown on officials alleged to have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian army during the Ukraine offensive. The crackdown is a Kremlin campaign that has ripped up previous norms about what is acceptable for Russian officials. 'There used to be rules, where people knew that, once you climbed up high enough, they wouldn't mess with you,' Mr Pertsev said. 'But they do not work any more.' In a sign of how out of favour Mr Starovoyt had become, Mr Putin has not publicly commented on his death. Asked if Mr Putin would attend the ceremony in Moscow, his spokesman told reporters: 'The President has a different work schedule today.' At the funeral in Saint Petersburg on July 11, two regional governors were the highest ranking officials to show up. 'Holy war' While Mr Putin has criticised corruption and vowed to stamp it out throughout his 25 years in power, his rule has been characterised by systemic graft, critics say. The smattering of high-profile arrests has more typically been used to target opponents or come about as the result of infighting among those lower down Russia's chain of power. But the military offensive against Ukraine has changed that. 'Something within the system has started to work completely differently,' analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote after Mr Starovoyt's death. 'Any action or inaction that, in the eyes of the authorities, increases the state's vulnerability to hostile actions by the enemy must be punished mercilessly and uncompromisingly,' she said. In such a climate, it was inevitable that heads would have to roll over the Kursk failings. Professor Nina Khrushcheva, who teaches at The New School, a university in New York City, said Mr Starovoyt's apparent suicide showed the Russian elite was 'scared'. The current climate is such that 'it is impossible to leave the top brass', said Prof Khrushcheva, who is also the great-granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. 'This is something we have not really seen since 1953,' she said, referring to Joseph Stalin's execution of a close ally. To the Kremlin, the Ukraine military campaign is a 'holy war' that has rewritten the rules of loyalty and service. 'During a holy war, you don't steal… You tighten your belts and work 24 hours a day to make the weapons you need.' That atmosphere, said Ms Stanovaya, has created a 'sense of hopelessness' among officials in Moscow that is unlikely to fade. 'Going forward, the system will be ready to sacrifice increasingly prominent figures,' she warned. AFP
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Minister's death spooks Russian elite amid corruption clampdown
The reported suicide of Russia's transport minister hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, sparking speculation he would be arrested on corruption charges, has shaken the country's elite. Roman Starovoyt was buried in Saint Petersburg on Friday, with his family weeping at his open coffin before it was lowered into the ground. The 53-year-old was found dead in his car on Monday in an elite Moscow suburb -- hours after Putin issued a decree to fire him, with no explanation. Russian investigators say he shot himself. Media reports said he was being investigated for corruption and could have been arrested within days. While government departments sent flowers and some ministers attended a memorial ceremony in Moscow a day earlier, there was unease over the fate of Starovoyt, who had climbed the ranks of Russia's bureaucracy to a seat in the cabinet. Many who came to the ceremony in Moscow refused to speak to AFP. "It's a great loss. Very unexpected," said Valentina, a 42-year-old translator whose husband worked with Starovoyt. "He was very active, cheerful and loved life very much. I don't know how it happened." - 'Scapegoat' - Starovoyt had been governor of Russia's western Kursk region before being promoted to Moscow, just a few months before Ukrainian troops captured dozens of border settlements in a surprise cross-border incursion. His successor was arrested in the spring for embezzling funds intended to beef up the fortifications that Ukraine ended up slicing through with ease. "They tried to make him the scapegoat... It's easier to put the blame on a civilian official," political commentator Andrey Pertsev told AFP. The case is one part of a wider crackdown on officials alleged to have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian army during the Ukraine offensive. The crackdown is a Kremlin campaign that has ripped up previous norms about what is acceptable for Russian officials. "There used to be rules, where people knew that once you climbed up high enough, they wouldn't mess with you," Pertsev said. "But they do not work any more." In a sign of how out of favour Starovoyt had become, Putin has not publicly commented on his death. Asked if Putin would attend the ceremony in Moscow, his spokesman told reporters: "The president has a different work schedule today." At the funeral in Saint Petersburg on Friday, two regional governors were the highest-ranking officials to show face. - 'Holy war' - While Putin has criticised corruption and vowed to stamp it out throughout his 25 years in power, his rule has been characterised by systemic graft, critics say. The smattering of high-profile arrests has more typically been used to target opponents or come about as the result of infighting among those lower down Russia's chain of power. But the military offensive against Ukraine has changed that. "Something within the system has started to work completely differently," analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote after Starovoyt's death. "Any action or inaction that, in the eyes of the authorities, increases the state's vulnerability to hostile actions by the enemy must be punished mercilessly and uncompromisingly," Stanovaya said. In such a climate, it was inevitable that heads would have to roll over the Kursk failings. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor at The New School, a university in New York City, said Starovoyt's apparent suicide showed the Russian elite was "scared". The current climate is such that "it is impossible to leave the top brass", said Khrushcheva, who is also the great-granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. "This is something we have not really seen since 1953," she told AFP, referring to Joseph Stalin's execution of a close ally. To the Kremlin, the Ukraine military campaign is a "holy war" that has rewritten the rules of loyalty and service. "During a holy war, you don't steal... You tighten your belts and work 24 hours a day to make the weapons you need." That atmosphere, said Stanovaya, has created a "sense of hopelessness" among officials in Moscow that is unlikely to fade. "Going forward, the system will be ready to sacrifice increasingly prominent figures," she warned.
News24
2 days ago
- Politics
- News24
Russia elite in fear following suicide of ex-minister Roman Starovoyt during Ukraine ‘holy war'
Russian minister Roman Starovoyt was fired and then died by suicide. His death has caused unease among Russia's elite. Russian leader Vladimir Putin declined to attend his funeral. The reported suicide of Russia's transport minister hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin and amid speculation he would be arrested on corruption charges, has shocked the country's elite. Several hundred mourners, including some ministers and state officials, streamed past the open coffin of Roman Starovoyt on Thursday. He was found dead in his car on Monday, hours after being fired by Putin, with Russian investigators saying he shot himself. There was a palpable unease as mourners clutched bouquets of red roses at his farewell. Russian media reported Starovoyt was being investigated for corruption and could have been arrested within days. Many who came to the ceremony refused to speak to AFP. 'It's a great loss, very unexpected,' said one Valentina, a 42-year-old translator whose husband worked with Starovoyt. 'He was very active, cheerful, and loved life very much. I don't know how it happened,' she added. Stringer/AFPTV/AFP Starovoyt had been governor of Russia's western Kursk region for five years before being promoted to Moscow, just a few months before Ukrainian troops captured dozens of border settlements in a shock cross-border incursion. His successor was arrested this spring for embezzling funds intended to beef up the fortifications that Ukraine ended up slicing through with ease - an embarrassing setback for Russia's military. 'They tried to make him the scapegoat, as the incursion mainly happened because there weren't enough soldiers to protect the border, but it's easier to put the blame on a civilian official,' political commentator Andrey Pertsev told AFP. The case is one part of a wider crackdown on officials alleged to have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian army amid the Ukraine offensive - a Kremlin campaign that has ripped up previous norms about what is acceptable for Russian officials. 'There used to be rules, where people knew that once you climbed up high enough, they wouldn't mess with you,' Pertsev said. You had guarantees, and everyone understood the rules ... but they do not work anymore. Andrey Pertsev In a sign of how out-of-favour Starovoyt had become, Putin has not publicly commented on his death. Asked if he would attend the memorial ceremony in Moscow, Putin's spokesperson told reporters: 'The president has a different work schedule today.' While Putin has criticised and vowed to stamp out corruption throughout his 25 years in power, his rule has been characterised by systemic graft, critics say. The smattering of high-profile arrests has more typically been used to target opponents, or come about as the result of infighting among those lower down Russia's chain of power. But the offensive on Ukraine has changed that. 'Something within the system has started to work completely differently,' analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote for Carnegie Politika, an online outlet that publishes commentary on Russian and Eurasian politics. Stringer/AFPTV/AFP The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - the Washington-based think tank that owns Carnegie Politika - is banned in Russia as an 'undesirable organisation'. 'Any action or inaction that, in the eyes of the authorities, increases the state's vulnerability to hostile actions by the enemy must be punished mercilessly and uncompromisingly,' Stanovaya said. In such a climate, it was inevitable that heads would have to roll over the Kursk failings. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor at The New School, a university in New York City, said Starovoyt's apparent suicide showed the Russian elite was 'scared'. The current climate is such that 'it is impossible to leave the top brass,' Khrushcheva, who is also the great-great-granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, told AFP. 'This is something we have not really seen since 1953,' she added, referring to the execution of a close ally by Joseph Stalin. To the Kremlin, the Ukraine campaign is a 'holy war' that has rewritten the rules of loyalty and service. 'During a holy war, you don't steal... you tighten your belts and work 24 hours a day to make the weapons you need.' That atmosphere, said Stanovaya, has created a 'sense of hopelessness' among officials in Moscow that is unlikely to fade. 'Going forward, the system will be ready to sacrifice increasingly prominent figures,' she warned.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Scapegoat or casualty? Russian minister's death shocks elite amid corruption crackdown and Ukraine fallout
MOSCOW, July 11 — The reported suicide of Russia's transport minister hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin and amid speculation he would be arrested on corruption charges, has shocked the country's elite. Several hundred mourners, including some ministers and state officials, streamed past the open coffin of Roman Starovoyt yesterday. He was found dead in his car on Monday, hours after being fired by Putin, with Russian investigators saying he shot himself. There was a palpable unease as mourners clutched bouquets of red roses at his farewell. Russian media reported Starovoyt was being investigated for corruption and could have been arrested within days. Many who came to the ceremony refused to speak to AFP. 'It's a great loss, very unexpected,' said one Valentina, a 42-year-old translator whose husband worked with Starovoyt. 'He was very active, cheerful, and loved life very much. I don't know how it happened,' she added. An employee carries a portrait of former transport minister Roman Starovoyt, who died recently, during a farewell ceremony in Moscow July 10, 2025. Starovoyt, 53, had been Russia's transport minister for a year and was previously the governor of the border Kursk region, where Russia had battled a Ukrainian incursion. — AFP pic 'Scapegoat' Starovoyt had been governor of Russia's western Kursk region for five years before being promoted to Moscow, just a few months before Ukrainian troops captured dozens of border settlements in a shock cross-border incursion. His successor was arrested this spring for embezzling funds intended to beef up the fortifications that Ukraine ended up slicing through with ease — an embarrassing setback for Russia's military. 'They tried to make him the scapegoat, as the incursion mainly happened because there weren't enough soldiers to protect the border, but it's easier to put the blame on a civilian official,' political commentator Andrey Pertsev told AFP. The case is one part of a wider crackdown on officials alleged to have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian army amid the Ukraine offensive — a Kremlin campaign that has ripped up previous norms about what is acceptable for Russian officials. 'There used to be rules, where people knew that once you climbed up high enough, they wouldn't mess with you,' Pertsev said. 'You had guarantees, and everyone understood the rules... but they do not work any more,' he added. In a sign of how out-of-favour Starovoyt had become, Putin has not publicly commented on his death. Asked if he would attend the memorial ceremony in Moscow, Putin's spokesman told reporters: 'The president has a different work schedule today.' 'Holy war' While Putin has criticised and vowed to stamp out corruption throughout his 25 years in power, his rule has been characterised by systemic graft, critics say. The smattering of high-profile arrests has more typically been used to target opponents, or come about as the result of infighting among those lower down Russia's chain of power. But the offensive on Ukraine has changed that. 'Something within the system has started to work completely differently,' analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote for Carnegie Politika, an online outlet that publishes commentary on Russian and Eurasian politics. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace — the Washington-based think tank that owns Carnegie Politika — is banned in Russia as an 'undesirable organisation'. 'Any action or inaction that, in the eyes of the authorities, increases the state's vulnerability to hostile actions by the enemy must be punished mercilessly and uncompromisingly,' Stanovaya said. In such a climate, it was inevitable that heads would have to roll over the Kursk failings. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor at The New School, a university in New York City, said Starovoyt's apparent suicide showed the Russian elite was 'scared.' The current climate is such that 'it is impossible to leave the top brass,' Khrushcheva, who is also the great-great-granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, told AFP. 'This is something we have not really seen since 1953,' she added, referring to the execution of a close ally by Joseph Stalin. To the Kremlin, the Ukraine campaign is a 'holy war' that has rewritten the rules of loyalty and service. 'During a holy war, you don't steal... you tighten your belts and work 24 hours a day to make the weapons you need.' That atmosphere, said Stanovaya, has created a 'sense of hopelessness' among officials in Moscow that is unlikely to fade. 'Going forward, the system will be ready to sacrifice increasingly prominent figures,' she warned. — AFP * If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim's Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Minister's death scares Russian elite amid corruption clampdown
The reported suicide of Russia's transport minister hours after he was dismissed by President Vladimir Putin and amid speculation he would be arrested on corruption charges, has shocked the country's elite. Several hundred mourners, including some ministers and state officials, streamed past the open coffin of Roman Starovoyt on Thursday. He was found dead in his car on Monday, hours after being fired by Putin, with Russian investigators saying he shot himself. There was a palpable unease as mourners clutched bouquets of red roses at his farewell. Russian media reported Starovoyt was being investigated for corruption and could have been arrested within days. Many who came to the ceremony refused to speak to AFP. 'It's a great loss, very unexpected,' said one Valentina, a 42-year-old translator whose husband worked with Starovoyt. 'He was very active, cheerful, and loved life very much. I don't know how it happened,' she added. 'Scapegoat' Starovoyt had been governor of Russia's western Kursk region for five years before being promoted to Moscow, just a few months before Ukrainian troops captured dozens of border settlements in a shock cross-border incursion. His successor was arrested this spring for embezzling funds intended to beef up the fortifications that Ukraine ended up slicing through with ease -- an embarrassing setback for Russia's military. 'They tried to make him the scapegoat, as the incursion mainly happened because there weren't enough soldiers to protect the border, but it's easier to put the blame on a civilian official,' political commentator Andrey Pertsev told AFP. The case is one part of a wider crackdown on officials alleged to have enriched themselves at the expense of the Russian army amid the Ukraine offensive -- a Kremlin campaign that has ripped up previous norms about what is acceptable for Russian officials. 'There used to be rules, where people knew that once you climbed up high enough, they wouldn't mess with you,' Pertsev said. 'You had guarantees, and everyone understood the rules ... but they do not work any more,' he added. In a sign of how out-of-favor Starovoyt had become, Putin has not publicly commented on his death. Asked if he would attend the memorial ceremony in Moscow, Putin's spokesman told reporters: 'The president has a different work schedule today.' 'Holy war' While Putin has criticized and vowed to stamp out corruption throughout his 25 years in power, his rule has been characterized by systemic graft, critics say. The smattering of high-profile arrests has more typically been used to target opponents, or come about as the result of infighting among those lower down Russia's chain of power. But the offensive on Ukraine has changed that. 'Something within the system has started to work completely differently,' analyst Tatiana Stanovaya wrote for Carnegie Politika, an online outlet that publishes commentary on Russian and Eurasian politics. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace -- the Washington-based think tank that owns Carnegie Politika -- is banned in Russia as an 'undesirable organization.' 'Any action or inaction that, in the eyes of the authorities, increases the state's vulnerability to hostile actions by the enemy must be punished mercilessly and uncompromisingly,' Stanovaya said. In such a climate, it was inevitable that heads would have to roll over the Kursk failings. Nina Khrushcheva, a professor at The New School, a university in New York City, said Starovoyt's apparent suicide showed the Russian elite was 'scared.' The current climate is such that 'it is impossible to leave the top brass,' Khrushcheva, who is also the great-great-granddaughter of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, told AFP. 'This is something we have not really seen since 1953,' she added, referring to the execution of a close ally by Joseph Stalin. To the Kremlin, the Ukraine campaign is a 'holy war' that has rewritten the rules of loyalty and service. 'During a holy war, you don't steal... you tighten your belts and work 24 hours a day to make the weapons you need.' That atmosphere, said Stanovaya, has created a 'sense of hopelessness' among officials in Moscow that is unlikely to fade. 'Going forward, the system will be ready to sacrifice increasingly prominent figures,' she warned.
