Russian authorities state that he was found in his car with a gunshot wound and that investigators suspect suicide.
The news comes just hours after it was announced through a presidential decree that Starovojt was dismissed. No reason was given for the dismissal.
However, it follows a weekend of traffic chaos where hundreds of flights have been grounded at Russian airports due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine.
Russian media are also speculating whether the dismissal may have been connected to an investigation into embezzlement of state funds earmarked for building military fortifications in the Kursk region, where Starovojt was governor before being appointed transport minister.
