Former Russian Transport Minister Roman Starovoit died by suicide on Monday, just hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin fired him from the job, officials said.

Russia’s transport minister was found dead Monday in what authorities called a suspected suicide, hours after he was dismissed from his post by President Vladimir Putin. Roman Starovoyt, 53, was found in his car in a suburb west of Moscow with a gunshot wound, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

A top Russian government official who was dismissed Monday by Russian leader Vladimir Putin is dead, with officials calling his death a suicide. Transport Minister Roman Starovoit, who held his post since May of last year,