Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoit this morning (Monday), according to a Kremlin statement. Hours later, the minister was found shot dead. Russia’s Investigative Committee stated that the body of the dismissed minister was found shot inside his car.
The government did not provide an official explanation for Starovoit’s dismissal, but the move comes after Ukrainian drone strikes over the weekend caused widespread flight cancellations in Russia.
According to Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency and the Russian Ministry of Transport, Russian airlines canceled 485 flights, 88 flights were forced to reroute, and 1,900 flights were delayed between Saturday and Monday.
Russian airlines had to issue refunds to 43,000 people, host 94,000 people in hotels, and provide food and drink to all of them. The pro-government Russian news site Kommersant reported that the transportation issues will cost billions of rubles (more than €200,000).
Starovoit, the former governor of the Kursk region in Russia, was appointed head of the Ministry of Transport in 2024. The Kremlin stated that Andrey Nikitin, former governor of the Novgorod region, has been appointed acting transport minister.
Just yesterday, it was reported that a senior figure in Russia’s oil industry “fell” on Thursday night from the window of his home and died. The executive was 62-year-old Andrey Badalov, Vice President of the oil company Transneft. Badalov’s body was found beneath the windows of his apartment near the Rublevskoye Highway in Moscow.
Badalov had served as Vice President of the oil company since 2021 and oversaw digital transformation, information technology, automation of production, and business activities.
Badalov’s body was discovered by passersby. He leaves behind his wife and two daughters. His wife is reportedly in shock and under medical supervision.
Since 2022, a series of mysterious deaths have occurred among senior figures in Russia’s oil and gas industry, with dozens of executives — including high-ranking officers — having “fallen” from windows, balconies, yachts, hotels, and vacation apartments, including a mysterious helicopter crash.
