A Russian official named Roman Starovit acted while the Kremlin Minister of Transport was reported for hours after Putin dismissed him. The officials say that he died by suicide.
Mary Louise Kelly, host:
A high -ranking government minister died just a few hours after the president relieved him from his post. It looks like a spy thriller. It is a real title of modern Russia, where we find Charles Maynes of NPR. It is online from Moscow. Hey, Charles.
Charles Maynes, byline: Hi.
Kelly: Hi. So who is – who was – this minister, and what do we know about his death?
Maynes: Well, this story involves a Russian official named Roman Starovoit, who was the Kremlin Minister of Transport for the best of the past year, at least until Monday. It was then that President Vladimir Putin relieved him of his duties and appointed a replacement. And so if you think, ok, a reshuffle of the government – no matter, very good …
Kelly: Yeah.
Maynes: … it’s true until we hear that.
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Unidentified Newscaster: (Russian speaking).
Maynes: So a few hours later, State TV announced that the now ex-minister Starovoit was dead. The Russian investigation committee, that is to say the Russian version of the FBI, immediately said that their hypothesis was that Starovoit committed suicide. However, exactly when a question is among many. All we know is that his body was discovered not far from his car in a park outside Moscow on Monday with a nearby pistol.
Kelly: So, taking into account these circumstances and the timing, that we learned his death just hours after his dismissal, what does the Kremlin say?
Maynes: Well, we have not heard of President Putin. However, his spokesperson said today that Putin was immediately informed of these tragic events. The spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, also called for patience while waiting for the investigation, but added this.
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Dmitry Peskov: (Russian speaking).
Maynes: So here, Peskov says that such moments can only shock most people, and, of course, that shocked them.
Kelly: OK, so the official Kremlin line is that they are shocked, it is tragic, that we have to wait for the investigation and what he finds. However, there must be all kinds of theories circulating.
Maynes: Well, it’s Russia. Yes, there are, most of them focusing on the previous work of Starovoit as governor of the Kursk region and for a private time in August of last year. It was at this time that Ukrainian forces launched an foray into Kursk – widely considered an embarrassment for the Kremlin.
Kelly: A embarrassment, but it’s over, right? Russia recently ended this foray with North Korean troops helping them.
Maynes: It’s true. It’s true, exactly. But as Russia has regained control of this region and Kursk, you know, the questions have really resurfaced on the way in which this collapse in the defenses of Russia really happened. In recent months, we have seen arrests of local officials, including the former deputy for Starovoit concerning an alleged abusive use of funds aimed at fortifying the border. Now there was no public accusation that we know against Starovoit, but there seems to be this consensus they came. The theory here is therefore that Starovoit committed suicide rather than to face years in a harsh Russian prison.
Kelly: It seems plausible, seems to be tidy. Although I think he could have chosen, if he was going to face accusations, to at least try to fight them. At least he would face a trial.
Maynes: Well, he could have, and there are certainly theorists of the conspiracy here who argue that Starovoit would have used a trial to disclose information on important people. He is certainly the last of a series of strange suicides and supposed among the Russian elite in recent years – for example, several falling from Windows. But whatever happened in the case of Starovoit, what is clear is that it had a frightening effect. You know, the civil servants were largely silent on his death. In fact, a popular social media chain, which is anonymously opposed, said that it recalled Soviet times when those responsible could suddenly disappear from the sight of the public. As the chain said, it is already as if Starovoit had never existed at all.
Kelly: Thank you, Charles.
Maynes: Thank you.
Kelly: It’s Charles Maynes from NPR to Moscow. And if you or someone you know can consider committing suicide or is in crisis, contact the life line of 988 suicide & Crisis – you compose 988 – or the line of crisis text by sending an SMS to the house, at home, at 741741.
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