Putin Fires Transport Minister Amid Airport Chaos Across Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Transport Minister Roman Starovoit in the wake of a crippling air travel collapse that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded across the country. Starovoit, who previously served as governor of the Kursk Region, held the ministerial role for just over a year. The move comes after a staggering 419 days in office, during which Starovoit oversaw Russia’s transport infrastructure at a time of mounting challenges. His dismissal, though formally unexplained in the presidential decree, follows widespread disruptions at Russian airports caused by heightened drone attack alerts earlier this month. Andrei Nikitin, the former governor of Novgorod Region, has been appointed acting Minister of Transport. Putin met with Nikitin at the Kremlin shortly after the decree was signed.