Russian Transport Minister found shot dead just hours after Putin fired him: authorities insist on "suicide"

Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoyt was found lifeless Monday after being fired by President Vladimir Putin, amid mounting domestic pressure on the Kremlin over the failure to contain the Ukrainian incursion into the border region of Kursk.

Starovoyt, 53, died from a gunshot wound inside his car. His body was found on the outskirts of Moscow, allegedly by his partner, Polina Korneeva, 25, Russian media reported.

The country's main criminal investigation agency, the Investigative Committee of Russia, opened an inquiry to determine the circumstances of the event. "The circumstances of the incident are being established. The main version is suicide," said Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for the committee, as speculation swirled in Moscow.

Sudden dismissal and a context of crisis

Starovoyt's dismissal came early Monday morning, shortly after versions began circulating about his imminent departure. According to media reports, Starovoyt was notified of his dismissal at 9:15 a.m. and, twenty minutes later, ordered his secretary to leave before locking himself in his office. Witnesses say he left the building shortly before 10:00 a.m., without saying goodbye to his colleagues.