Kremlin meltdown as another official dies mysteriously sparking fears of Putin purge

Another Kremlin official is reported to have died in mysterious circumstances, as fears grow of a major Putin purge. Russia's elite has been stung by a series of "suicides" and unexplained deaths in the past few days and weeks.

On Monday, Kremlin officials were rocked by the news that Russia's Transport Minister Roman Starovoy had apparently shot himself in his car. To make matters worse, an official in Starovoy's ministry also suddenly died on the same day, reportedly moments after hearing about the tragic fate of his boss.

Andrey Korneichuk, 42, was head of a department responsible for land relations at the Transport Ministry.

He was attending a workday meeting when he is reported to have suddenly stood up from his desk and collapsed.

Medics were called to the scene but were unable to resuscitate him and he was pronounced dead.

The cause of his death has as yet not been officially confirmed, although one source told the Russian publication RBK that heart failure was suspected.

His boss Starovoy was found dead in his car in Odintsovo, a city west of Moscow - according to investigators.

A decree published by the Kremlin said the minister had been dismissed from his post just hours earlier by the Russian president.

However, there appears to be some discrepancy about the time of death, with a source close to the investigation telling Forbes Russia that the minister died "presumably overnight between Saturday and Sunday,"

This contradicts claims by the Kremlin that Starovoy died on Monday.

It comes as another top Russian oil executive was killed after falling from a window in a Moscow tower block last week.

Andrey Badalov, 62, was confirmed dead after falling from his penthouse on Rublyovskoye Highway.

He was the vice-president of Transneft - Russia's state oil pipeline operator and the largest such company in the world.

Russia has been plagued by a number of "suicides" among top officials working in the energy sector.

Three Gazprom executives were found dead in 2022 - each victim having reportedly left behind a suicide note to explain their tragic deaths