Russian former transport minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead hours after he was fired unexpectedly by Vladimir Putin.
"Today, the body of the former Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Starovoit, was found with a gunshot wound in his personal car," Russia's investigative committee said in a statement.
The committee implied that Starovoit took his own life, news which comes hours after Putin fired Starovoit in an unexpected move as Russia’s transport sector faces challenges. Russia's aviation sector is short of spare parts and Russian Railways, the country's largest employer, has grappled with soaring interest costs as high rates – needed to curb higher inflation exacerbated by the war – take their toll.
Putin's decree gave no reason for the dismissal of Starovoit after barely a year in the job. Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine.
He was replaced with his deputy, Andrei Nikitin. A Kremlin spokesperson said: “At present, in the president's opinion, Andrei Nikitin's professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions.”
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Key Points
- Russian transport minister found dead hours after getting the sack
- Three children among 27 wounded in Russia's drone attack on Kharkiv
- Zelensky signs deal to mass produce drones as Ukraine's defence needs rise
- Russia stops reporting all deaths to conceal losses in Ukraine – report
Watch: Russia and Ukraine carry out another prisoner swap
18:00
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Bryony Gooch
Inside Starovoit's life before he was transport minister
17:00
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Bryony Gooch
Before being appointed transport minister in May 2024, Starovoit had been governor of the Kursk region for nearly five years.
Three months after he became transport minister, Ukrainian troops crossed the border into Kursk in the biggest foreign incursion into Russian territory since World War Two and were only pushed out earlier this year after fierce fighting and widespread destruction.
In April this year, Starovoit's successor as governor, Alexei Smirnov, was charged with embezzling money earmarked for defence purposes amid accusations that the funds earmarked for border defences had been stolen, leaving Kursk more vulnerable to Ukrainian attack.
Pressed earlier on Monday by reporters on whether his dismissal meant Putin had lost trust in Starovoit over Kursk, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "a loss of trust is mentioned if there is a loss of trust".
"There is no such wording in the (Kremlin) decree."
Ukraine military claims to strike Moscow chemical plant
16:31
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine's military said on Monday it had struck a chemical plant in Russia's Moscow region that manufactures explosives, ammunition and thermobaric warheads for Shahed attack drones.
"A series of explosions were recorded in the area of the city of Krasnozavodsk and the movement of fire trucks in neighbouring settlements," Kyiv's General Staff said in a statement on the Telegram messaging site, adding that the final results of the strike were still being clarified.
This report has not been independently verified.
Kremlin hits back at 'anti-American' BRICS comments from Trump
16:01
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Bryony Gooch
A Kremlin spokesperson has responded to accusations from US president Donald Trump that the BRICS bloc is “anti-American” as the countries attended a summit on Sunday.
The spokesman said Russia's cooperation with the BRICS was based on a "common world view" and "will never be directed against third countries."
It comes as Trump threatened BRICS participators with additional 10% tariffs. Trump's threat on Sunday night came as the U.S. government prepared to finalize dozens of trade deals with a range of countries before his July 9 deadline for the imposition of significant "retaliatory tariffs."
Putin could not attend the summit in person due to an arrest warrant in his name by the International Criminal Court.
BREAKING: Russian transport minister found dead hours after getting the sack
15:24
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Bryony Gooch
Russian former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit has been found dead, Russia's investigative committee said on Monday.
"Today, the body of the former Minister of Transport of the Russian Federation, Roman Starovoit, was found with a gunshot wound in his personal car," the statement issued by the committee says.
It comes hours after Putin fired Starovoit in an unexpected move as Russia’s transport sector faces challenges.
Russia's aviation sector is short of spare parts and Russian Railways, the country's largest employer, is grappling with soaring interest costs as high rates - needed to curb higher inflation exacerbated by the war - take their toll.
Putin's decree gave no reason for the dismissal of Roman Starovoit after barely a year in the job. Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine.
Watch: Russia launches huge strikes on Ukraine's fuel supply facilities
15:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Zelensky discusses replacing ambassador to US in call with Trump - report
14:30
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Bryony Gooch
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed replacing the current ambassador to the US, Oksana Markarova, during his phone call with President Donald Trump on Friday, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing a person familiar with the matter.
The country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal is on a list of potential candidates to become Kyiv's envoy to Washington, alongside Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Energy Minister German Galushchenko, the report said, citing an unnamed source.
Zelenskiy had said on Saturday that his conversation with Trump last week was the best and "most productive" he has had to date, adding that the two leaders had discussed "several other important matters."
The report could not be independently verified.
Putin fires transport minister and replaces him with deputy
14:00
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Bryony Gooch
Russian President Vladimir Putin fired his transport minister in an unexpected move that comes at a time of significant challenges for the transport sector as the war in Ukraine drags on for a fourth year.
Russia's aviation sector is short of spare parts and Russian Railways, the country's largest employer, is grappling with soaring interest costs as high rates - needed to curb higher inflation exacerbated by the war - take their toll.
Putin's decree gave no reason for the dismissal of Roman Starovoit after barely a year in the job. Starovoit was appointed transport minister in May 2024 after spending almost five years as governor of the Kursk region bordering Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Andrei Nikitin, a former governor of the Novgorod region, had been appointed acting transport minister and it published photographs of him shaking hands with Putin in the Kremlin.
Asked about Starovoit's sudden departure and Nikitin's swift appointment, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "At present, in the president's opinion, Andrei Nikitin's professional qualities and experience will best contribute to ensuring that this agency, which the president described as extremely important, fulfils its tasks and functions."
Pictures: Shrapnel and debris after a Russian airstrike in Kharkiv
13:30
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Bryony Gooch
Russia fires over 100 drones at Ukraine as Kremlin dismisses transport chief after travel chaos
13:00
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Bryony Gooch
Russia fired more than 100 drones at civilian areas of Ukraine overnight, authorities said Monday, as the Kremlin dismissed the country’s transport chief after a weekend of travel chaos when Russian airports grounded hundreds of flights due to the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks.
At least 10 civilians were killed and 38 injured, including three children, in Russian attacks over the previous 24 hours, Ukrainian officials said.
In pictures: Medics treat residents in Zaporizhzhia after Russian strike
12:30
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Bryony Gooch
Recap: Russia says it downed eight Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Sunday
12:00
,
Bryony Gooch
Russian air defence units shot down eight Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow late on Sunday, from a total of 90 overnight over Russian territory, the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula, the defence ministry said.
Most came down over regions near Ukraine, but three were also destroyed over the Leningrad area, home to Russia's second-largest city of St Petersburg, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app on Monday.
The ministry reports only the numbers of drones destroyed, not the numbers launched by Ukraine. Also, it does not report possible damage, but regional governors said the attacks caused no substantial damage.
Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia reported temporary airport closures in the two cities and other regional centres, as well as delays to dozens of flights.
In pictures: Firefighters work at site in Zaporizhzhia
11:30
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Bryony Gooch
Recap: The myriad countries arming Russia and Ukraine – and the billions it costs
11:00
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Bryony Gooch
Donald Trump has suggested that the US could send more Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, and has not ruled out providing the war-torn country with a new military support package.
Speaking at the Nato summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday, the president said “we’ll see what happens” when asked whether Washington would add to the $8 billion pledged by Nato allies.
"They do want to have the anti-missile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots," the US president said. "And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and they're very effective, 100 per cent effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.”
Alex Croft reports:
Putin to attend BRICS summit online as Trump threatens aligned countries with tariffs
10:30
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Bryony Gooch
As the BRICS group of developing nations kicked off a summit in Brazil on Sunday, Russian president Vladimir Putin will be attending online due to an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court related to his war in Ukraine.
President Donald Trump said the US will impose an additional 10% tariff on any countries aligning themselves with the "Anti-American policies" of the BRICS group of developing nations, whose leaders kicked off a summit in Brazil on Sunday.
With forums such as the G7 and G20 groups of major economies hamstrung by divisions and the disruptive "America First" approach of the U.S. president, the BRICS is presenting itself as a haven for multilateral diplomacy amid violent conflicts and trade wars.
In a joint statement from the opening of the BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro released on Sunday afternoon, the group warned the rise in tariffs threatened global trade, continuing its veiled criticism of Trump's tariff policies.
Trump has not made it clear what the “Anti-American policies” in question would be.
Zelensky: 'we are strongly counting on our partners to fully deliver' agreements in defeating Russia
10:00
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Bryony Gooch
In his latest statement, Zelensky said emphasised that Ukraine was counting on global partners to deliver on agreements as air defence remained a top priority in saving and protecting citizens.
He said: “The Russians launched 101 drones against Ukraine, most of them Russian-Iranian ‘shaheds’. Many regions were affected, and air raid sirens are blaring again across many regions this morning due to attack drones.
“In total, over the past week, there were around 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and nearly a thousand guided bombs. We are strongly counting on our partners to fully deliver on what we have agreed. Air defense remains the top priority for protecting lives.
“We are also actively advancing agreements on investing in our domestic weapons production, including all types of drones. Special focus is on interceptor drones. We are contracting at full capacity. I thank all partners who are helping.”
Zelensky says youngest child injured was three years old with one fatality
09:30
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Bryony Gooch
President Zelensky issued a statement after 27 people were injured overnight in Russian aerial strikes, including three children.
“Throughout the night and into the morning, emergency rescue operations have been underway in the Donetsk and Dnipro regions.
“In Kharkiv, rubble is being cleared after a strike on apartment buildings. 27 people were injured, including three children.
“The youngest, a girl, is just three years old. Three people have been hospitalized. Unfortunately, there was one fatality in Odesa. My condolences to the family and loved ones.”
Watch: Russia and Ukraine carry out another prisoner swap
09:00
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Bryony Gooch
In pictures: Odesa in flames
08:40
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine downs 75 Russian drones overnight
08:22
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Bryony Gooch
Ukraine’s air force has reported 105 Russian drones and missiles attacked the country overnight in the north, east and south of the country.
The military was able to down 75 drones via fire weapons and electronic warfare.
In photos: Russian attacks wound 27 in Ukraine's Kharkiv
08:07
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Arpan Rai
Zelensky signs deals to mass produce drones
07:44
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has inked deals with European allies and a leading US defence company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year, the war-time country’s president announced.
Volodymyr Zelensky did not name the US business in his nightly video address to Ukrainians, but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil.
“With Denmark – new agreements on coproduction. The Danish model of investing in Ukraine’s own DIB has proven its effectiveness. Joint work on the territory of Denmark, and soon in other key partner countries, is allowing us to scale up even more. This applies to drones and many other types of urgently needed weapons,” he said on Saturday night.
He added: “As per drones, we’ve also reached an agreement with one of the leading American companies to significantly increase our joint efforts.”
Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia, demonstrating its capabilities and denting Moscow's confidence.
Last month, Kyiv said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack.
Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences.
While Russia has ramped up offensives this summer on two fronts in Ukraine, analysts say the front isn't about to collapse.
A brief summary of what we have accomplished during the week with the friends of Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 5, 2025
With Denmark – new agreements on coproduction. The Danish model of investing in Ukraine’s own DIB has proven its effectiveness. Joint work on the territory of Denmark, and soon in other key… pic.twitter.com/f5gwSkho4n
Russia says it downs eight Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow
07:31
,
Arpan Rai
Russian air defence units shot down eight Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow late yesterday, from a total of 90 overnight over Russian territory, the Black Sea and the Crimean peninsula, the defence ministry said.
Most came down over regions near Ukraine, but three were also destroyed over the Leningrad area, home to Russia's second-largest city of St Petersburg, the ministry said this morning.
Russia’s defence ministry reports only the numbers of drones destroyed, not the numbers launched by Ukraine. It also does not report possible damage, but regional governors said the attacks caused no substantial damage.
Russia's civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia reported temporary airport closures in the two cities and other regional centres, as well as delays to dozens of flights.
Russia stops reporting all deaths to conceal losses in Ukraine – report
06:45
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Arpan Rai
Russian authorities have stopped reporting on the number of deaths in Russia to conceal its losses from the war in Ukraine, according to a report.
Meduza, Russia’s opposition outlet, said that the Russian Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) did not report demographic data in its January to May 2025 “socioeconomic situation in Russia” report.
Additionally, electoral statistics researcher Dmitry Kobak said late last month that “Rosstat refused to fulfill his request for data pertaining to 2024 male excess mortality and monthly deaths by date of death”, said The Institute for the Study of War.
“ISW previously assessed that Rosstat is concealing population data in an attempt to obfuscate Russia’s ongoing demographic problems, and the omission of demographic data in Rosstat's reports likely also aims to obscure the Russian military's high personnel loss rates,” the think tank said in its latest update.
Three children among 23 wounded in Russia's drone attack on Kharkiv, Ukraine says
06:32
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Arpan Rai
At least three children were among 20 people wounded as a result of a Russian drone attack on Ukraine's second-largest city of Kharkiv overnight that damaged apartments and a kindergarten, Ukrainian authorities said this morning.
A fire broke out in a multi-storey residential building in Kharkiv as a result of the attack, mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Oleh Sinehubov, governor of the broader Kharkiv region of which the city of Kharkiv is the administrative centre, said that most of the injuries occurred in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district.
Emergency services were working at the site, Mr Sinehubov said.
Kharkiv, which lies in northeastern Ukraine near the border with Russia, has been the target of regular Russian drone and missile attacks since the start of the war that Moscow launched with a full-scale invasion more than three years ago.
Dutch intelligence services say Russia has stepped up use of banned chemical weapons in Ukraine
06:00
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Arpan Rai
Two Dutch intelligence agencies said on Friday that Russia is increasing its use of prohibited chemical weapons in Ukraine, including the World War I-era poison gas chloropicrin.
The Netherlands’ military intelligence and the security service, together with the German intelligence service, found that the use of prohibited chemical weapons by the Russian military had become “standardized and commonplace” in Ukraine.
According to the findings, the Russian military uses chloropicrin and riot control agent CS against sheltering Ukrainian soldiers, who are then forced out into the open and shot.
Putin may be mocking Trump over Ukraine – but the US president won’t do anything about it
05:45
,
Arpan Rai
European leaders have redoubled their efforts to prise Donald Trump away from Russia by warning that the US president is being “mocked” by Vladimir Putin, alleging that Moscow is using chemical weapons in Ukraine and demanding that the US restore weapons supplies to Kyiv.
The move came after Ukraine said it had endured the biggest overnight air attack of the entire war, with swarms of 500 drones and missiles intended to overwhelm already stretched air defences.
Radek Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, called for the US to end its suspension of air defence missiles and other weapons – most of which are on standby for delivery to Poland –and derided Trump’s fruitless efforts to secure a ceasefire. “Mr Trump, Putin is mocking your peace efforts,” said the Oxford-educated Sikorski.
Watch: Russia and Ukraine carry out another prisoner swap
05:18
,
Arpan Rai
Six drones headed for Moscow downed, says mayor
04:57
,
Arpan Rai
Russian air defence units downed six Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow yesterday, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said.
Mr Sobyanin said specialists were examining fragments of the drones near the Russian capital. He made no mention of damage or casualties.
The governor of Leningrad region outside Russia's second largest city, St Petersburg, said two drones had been downed, with no damage or casualties noted.
Rosaviatsiya, Russia's civil aviation authority, reported temporary airport closures in the two cities and other regional centres and said dozens of flights had been delayed.
Officials in Russian regions reported later in the evening that seven drones had been destroyed over central Oryol, three over Smolensk in the west and four over Tver region, northwest of Moscow.
Russia's defence ministry had earlier reported that 39 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed over a five and a half hour period into the afternoon, mostly in central Russia or near the Ukrainian border.
Zelensky signs deal to mass produce drones as Ukraine's defence needs rise
04:50
,
Arpan Rai
Ukraine has inked deals with European allies and a leading US defence company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year, the war-time country’s president announced.
Volodymyr Zelensky did not name the US business in his nightly video address to Ukrainians, but said Ukraine and Denmark have also agreed to co-produce drones and other weapons on Danish soil.
“With Denmark – new agreements on coproduction. The Danish model of investing in Ukraine’s own DIB has proven its effectiveness. Joint work on the territory of Denmark, and soon in other key partner countries, is allowing us to scale up even more. This applies to drones and many other types of urgently needed weapons,” he said on Saturday night.
He added: “As per drones, we’ve also reached an agreement with one of the leading American companies to significantly increase our joint efforts.”
Ukraine has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia, demonstrating its capabilities and denting Moscow's confidence.
Last month, Kyiv said it destroyed more than 40 Russian planes stationed at several airfields deep inside Russia in a surprise attack.
Outmanned and outgunned, Ukraine's army has also turned to drones to compensate for its troop shortage and shore up its defences.
While Russia has ramped up offensives this summer on two fronts in Ukraine, analysts say the front isn't about to collapse.
A brief summary of what we have accomplished during the week with the friends of Ukraine.
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 5, 2025
With Denmark – new agreements on coproduction. The Danish model of investing in Ukraine’s own DIB has proven its effectiveness. Joint work on the territory of Denmark, and soon in other key… pic.twitter.com/f5gwSkho4n
Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes in weekend attack
04:27
,
Arpan Rai
Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones yesterday, forcing shutdown of airports and throwing Russian air travel in disarray.
Russian air defences shot down 120 Ukrainian drones during the nighttime attacks, and 39 more before 2pm Moscow time (1100 GMT) yesterday, Russia's defence ministry said.
It did not clarify how many had hit targets, or how many had been launched in total.
Photos and videos of the attack showed crowds huddling at Russian airports including key international hubs in Moscow and St Petersburg, as hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled due to Ukrainian drone strikes on Saturday and overnight, according to Russia's transport ministry.
The flight disruptions hit Moscow's Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg's main Pulkovo airports. Other airports in western and central Russia also faced disruptions.