Former Russian minister found dead hours after being fired, investigators suspect suicide

Former Russian transport minister, Roman Starovoit, was found dead near Moscow on Monday, following his dismissal earlier the same day.

53-year-old Starovoit was discovered with a gunshot wound in his car, just hours after President Putin fired him in a presidential decree, with suicide believed to be the cause of death.

No explanations were given regarding the reasons behind the dismissal.

Starovoit's removal came amid a corruption probe linked to allegations of embezzling approximately 246 million U.S. dollars that were allocated for border fortifications, as well as criticism following disruptive drone attacks that grounded flights.

Investigators are conducting a criminal probe to determine the exact cause of his death.