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The Kremlin is shocked at the tragic death of a former minister who Putin fired

The Kremlin announced on Tuesday it was shocked at the sudden death, which occurred hours after President Vladimir Putin sacked Roman Starovoit as Russia's former Transport Minister.

Starovoit, who was found shot to death in his car near Moscow on Monday by state investigators, is believed to have committed suicide.

When asked about Starovoit’s death, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov responded that Putin was briefed and called the news "tragic and tragic".

Peskov refused to speculate about the cause of Starovoit’s death citing an ongoing investigation.

It can't but shock the average person. Peskov said, "It shocked us as well." "An investigation is underway." This investigation will provide all the answers.

The presidential decree issued on Monday did not give any reason for Starovoit's dismissal after only a year at the job. However, political analysts suspect that it is linked to an investigation into corruption in the Kursk Region, where he was once in charge.

Could not independently confirm these suggestions. However, a source in the transport industry, who refused to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the issue, stated on Monday that Starovoit’s position has been in doubt for months because of questions regarding the same corruption scandal.

This investigation focuses on whether the 19.4 billion roubles (about $246 million) allocated in 2022 to fortify Russia's border in the Kursk area with Ukraine was spent properly or if some of this money was embezzled. (Reporting and writing by Dmitry Antonov; editing by Guy Faulconbridge/Andrew Osborn).

(source: Reuters)