Former Russian transport minister Roman Starovoit was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after being dismissed by President Vladimir Putin. The Investigative Committee is looking into the circumstances of his death. Starovoit had previously served as governor of the Kursk region, which faced conflict with Ukrainian troops. His successor, Aleksey Smirnov, was arrested for embezzlement related to border fortifications. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Starovoit's dismissal indicated a loss of trust from Putin.