Russia’s Transport Minister Found Dead After Dismissal Amid Travel Chaos and Escalating Strikes on Ukraine

Moscow, July 7, 2025: Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found dead on Monday, just hours after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin, in what authorities have described as an apparent suicide.

Starovoyt, who had held the ministerial post since May 2024, was relieved of his duties in a presidential decree issued earlier the same day. His sudden removal followed a weekend of travel turmoil across Russia, when airports suspended hundreds of flights at the peak of vacation season amid heightened threats of attacks from Kyiv.

Authorities have not disclosed details surrounding the circumstances of Starovoyt’s death. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment further, stating only that an investigation was underway.

The developments come as Russia intensified its military campaign against Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported that Moscow launched more than 100 drones overnight, targeting civilian areas across the country. At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured in the past 24 hours, including three children, as Russian strikes battered several regions.

The escalation highlights the ongoing volatility both within Russia’s domestic sphere and on the battlefield in Ukraine, where the conflict continues to extract a deadly toll.