Russia’s transport minister was found dead on Monday hours after being said by officials to have apparently committed suicide. After a weekend of travel chaos, the firing was taken on hundreds of flights at the airport, due to the threat of a drone attack from Kiev.
Transport Minister Roman Starovoy, 53, has served as Russia’s transport minister since May 2024 and was fired in a presidential decree earlier in the day when there was no reason to be fired.
Ukrainian officials said at least 11 civilians were killed in Ukraine on Monday, more than 80 injured, including seven children, attacked Russia in the past 24 hours.
Authorities said that overnight, Russia drove more than 100 drones to civilian areas in Ukraine.
After more than three years of war, Russia recently carried out air strikes in civilian areas. Over the past week, Russia has launched about 1,270 drones, 39 missiles and nearly 1,000 powerful Glide bombs in Ukraine.
Russia’s larger army also worked hard to break through some places along the front line of about 1,000 kilometers, with Ukrainian troops stretching severely.
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Pressure to avoid Russian invasion, lack of progress in direct peace talks and pressure to stop some promised US arms transport last week forced Ukraine to seek more military help from the United States and Europe.
Zelenskyy said on Saturday that Ukraine signed an agreement with European allies and a leading U.S. defense company to strengthen drone production and ensure Kiev received “hundreds of thousands” this year.
“Air defense is the main factor in protecting life,” Zelenskyy wrote in a telegram on Monday.
This includes developing and manufacturing interceptor drones that can stop Russia’s long-range Shahed drones, he said.
The widespread use of drones has also helped Ukraine fill its front-line troops shortage.
Ukrainian authorities said that he was killed in the southern city of Odesa, another person was killed and injured in northeast Kharkif, and 71 people caused fallen drone debris in the night drone attack, causing damage in two areas of the capital.
Officials said Russian short-term drones also killed two people and injured two others in the northern part of Sumi. Sumy is one of the places where Russia concentrates a large number of troops.
In addition, nine people were injured and seven people died in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine. He did not have the weapon specified.
The Ukrainian Army Ground Force Commander said that within five days, more Russian long-range drones attacked the military mobilization center, an apparent attempt to undermine recruitment.
Regional officials in Kharkif and Zaporizhiya southern said at least 17 people were injured.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Monday that its troops shot down 91 Ukrainian drones overnight in 13 Russian regions and on the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Putin appointed Staronot’s agent Andrey Nikitin as acting transport minister. Nikitkin was the governor of the Novgorod region in Russia until February.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Starovoyt’s sack.
On the weekend, the Sheremetyevo and Pulkovo airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg were cancelled or postponed hundreds of flights, and thousands of passengers faced prolonged waits. Other airports in western and central Russia are also facing disruption due to Ukrainian drone attacks.
& Copy 2025 Canadian Press
