Roman Starovoit, a former transport minister, was found dead in a car while authorities claimed he was conducting meetings.

Roman Starovoit died on the night of July 5-6, but Russian authorities have continued to claim that he was leading talks about an accident. His body, with a gunshot wound, was discovered in a car near Moscow, and Putin's dismissal of him came after the body was discovered. There are inconsistencies over the time of death and the reasons for the suicide, and Starovoit was under investigation for fraud in connection with embezzlement. The investigation is ongoing.