MOSCOW, July 7 (Alliance News): In a shocking turn of events, Russian Transport Minister Roman Satvarov was found dead in a suspected suicide just hours after his dismissal by President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian Investigative Committee confirmed that his body was discovered in a car in a suburban area outside Moscow.
Authorities said preliminary evidence indicates suicide, though a full investigation is underway. Satvarov’s death came shortly after a presidential decree removed him from office and appointed his deputy, Andrei Nikitin, as acting Minister of Transport.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, when questioned by reporters, denied that the dismissal was related to any official loss of trust but did not elaborate on the specific reasons behind the decision.
However, Russian media have reported that Satvarov was under investigation for alleged corruption related to state funds allocated for constructing military defense facilities in the Kursk region. Prior to his appointment as Transport Minister in May 2024, Satvarov had served as the Governor of Kursk—a post now also under scrutiny due to ongoing investigations.
Sources suggest Satvarov was facing imminent arrest. His predecessor and former deputy, Alexei Smirnov, was arrested earlier this year in connection with the same corruption case.
Satvarov’s sudden death marks another high-profile scandal within Russia’s political and administrative ranks, raising questions about the growing number of corruption probes targeting senior officials involved in defense and infrastructure spending amid the ongoing war effort and economic pressure on the Kremlin.
