Roman Starovoit, Fired As Transport Minister By Putin, Shoots Himself

Moscow: Russia's former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit reportedly shot himself dead on Monday, just hours after being dismissed from his position by President Vladimir Putin. According to officials, the death appears to be an apparent suicide, which the Russian law enforcement agencies are investigating. Reportedly, the shocking incident took place on the same day that Vladimir Putin fired him as transport minister. As per claims, Starovoit's departure from his role as transport minister was sudden and unexpected, and the circumstances surrounding his dismissal are still unclear.

The Russian government has not yet officially commented on the circumstances surrounding Starovoit's death. However, sources close to the matter suggest that the former minister was under immense pressure and stress in the period leading up to his dismissal. It is claimed that Starovoit's dismissal came after a weekend of travel chaos in Russia, with hundreds of flights grounded or delayed due to the threat of drone attacks from Ukraine.

Putin's decision to fire Starovoit as transport minister has been met with surprise and speculation. The timing of Starovoit's dismissal and subsequent death is particularly striking, given the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine. 

The sudden death of Roman Starovoit has left the Russian government in shock, with many questions being raised about the circumstances surrounding his dismissal and subsequent death. Putin named Starovoit's deputy, Andrey Nikitin, as acting transport minister, but Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov refused to comment on Starovoit's dismissal.

As the investigation to ascertain the circumstances leading to the death of the former Russian Minister continues, further developments regarding the death are awaited. 

In a separate development, Russia launched a massive drone attack on Ukraine's civilian areas overnight, striking fear into the hearts of many. According to Ukrainian authorities, over 100 drones were deployed, causing widespread damage and casualties. At least 11 civilians were killed, and more than 80 were injured, including seven children, in the Russian attacks over the past 24 hours.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been escalating in recent weeks, with Russia intensifying its airstrikes on civilian areas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia had launched some 1,270 drones, 39 missiles, and almost 1,000 powerful glide bombs at Ukraine in the past week alone. The strain of keeping Russia's invasion at bay has compelled Ukraine to seek more military help from the US and Europe.

Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Ukraine had signed deals with European allies and a leading US defence company to step up drone production, ensuring Kyiv receives "hundreds of thousands" more this year. "Air defence is the main thing for protecting life," Zelenskyy wrote on Telegram on Monday. This includes developing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia's long-range Shahed drones.

The use of drones has become a crucial aspect of the conflict, with both sides employing them to devastating effect. In Ukraine, drones have helped compensate for troop shortages on the front line, while in Russia, drones have been used to target civilian areas and disrupt Ukrainian military operations.

In a recent development, Russian long-range drone strikes targeted military mobilisation centres for the third time in five days, in an apparent attempt to disrupt recruitment. At least 17 people were injured in the attacks, which were reported in the Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Meanwhile, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its troops had shot down 91 Ukrainian drones in 13 Russian regions overnight, as well as over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula.