Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was discovered deceased near Moscow on Monday, merely hours after President Vladimir Putin terminated his position. This dismissal was prompted by significant disruptions in Russian civilian airspace stemming from Ukrainian drone strikes.
Details surrounding the minister’s death
Reports from Russian media indicate that a firearm was located near Starovoit’s body, leading to speculation regarding a possible suicide. However, official confirmation regarding the cause of death has yet to be provided.
On the day of his dismissal, the Kremlin refrained from disclosing specific reasons for Starovoit’s firing. Before his reappointment as transport minister in May 2024, he had served as the governor of Russia’s Kursk region. His removal followed a weekend in which approximately 300 flights were grounded at major airports due to the recent Ukrainian drone incursions.
Statistics from the Russian federal aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, revealed that 485 flights were canceled over the weekend. From early Saturday morning to Monday morning, nearly 1,900 flights experienced delays attributed to “airspace restrictions imposed on airports in central Russia.” According to the Kremlin-controlled outlet Komersant, these disruptions incurred costs exceeding 200,000 euros for airlines.
Escalating Ukrainian drone strikes
As Russia escalates its aerial assaults targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure, Ukraine’s military continues to focus on Russia’s military sites. On Saturday, Ukrainian military officials announced a successful strike on the Borisoglebsk airbase in Russia’s Voronezh region, believed to house various Russian fighter jets including the Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM.
The Kremlin reported that Russian air defenses intercepted eight Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow on Sunday night, out of a total of 90 drones detected across Russian territory, the Black Sea, and Crimea. Many of these UAVs were shot down near the Ukrainian border, while three were intercepted over the Leningrad region, including the capital city of St Petersburg, as reported by the ministry on Telegram.
Kyiv’s drone operations have previously disrupted civilian air travel within Russia. In early May, just days ahead of Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations, drone strikes caused significant disturbances at Moscow’s airports, affecting around 350 flights.
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