(MENAFN) Russian President Vladimir Putin has removed Roman Starovoit from his position as transport minister, according to an official decree published Monday. Starovoit had served in the role for just over a year.

Starovoit has spent much of his career in Russia’s road infrastructure sector. From 2012 to 2018, he headed the Federal Road Agency, Rosavtodor, before becoming deputy transport minister and eventually being appointed transport minister in May 2024. Prior to this, he served as governor of Kursk Region — initially as acting governor in 2018, then as elected governor from 2019 until May 2024, after securing 81% of the vote.

Following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022, the Kursk border region became mired in corruption scandals, particularly involving defense-related construction projects and the theft of government funds. Over 20 individuals have been detained in connection with these cases, including Starovoit’s former deputy, Aleksey Dedov, and his gubernatorial successor, Aleksey Smirnov. However, it remains unclear if these scandals influenced Starovoit’s dismissal.

During his tenure, Starovoit was sanctioned by the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Ukraine. He has been awarded the Order of Honor, the Order of Alexander Nevsky, and the Order of Friendship, and holds the civil service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor — a title equivalent to an army general.

Andrey Nikitin, Starovoit’s former deputy, has been named acting transport minister. Nikitin previously served as governor of Novgorod Region before joining the transport ministry in February 2025, where he was responsible for digital transformation and automation within the national transport system. Before his governorship, he led the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

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