Russia's former transport minister was found dead in his car outside Moscow with a gunshot wound, hours after President Vladimir Putin fired him.

Russian’s transport minister was found dead from a gunshot wound in an apparent suicide, investigators said Monday — news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by President Vladimir Putin.

MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian former Transport Minister Roman Starovoit has shot himself, Izvestiya news outlet reported on Monday citing a source. Russian President Vladimir Putin fired Starovoit as transport minister on Monday.

Ukraine said it struck a Russian air base on Saturday, while Russia continued to attack Ukraine with hundreds of drones overnight as part of a stepped-up bombing campaign that has dashed hopes for a breakthrough in efforts to end the more than 3-year-old war.

Ukraine said Saturday it struck an airbase in Russia, which continued overnight to use hundreds of drones in its stepped-up bombing campaign. The fresh wave of attacks signal a breakthrough isn't expected anytime soon in efforts to end the more than three-year-old war.

(Reuters) -Russian air defence units downed six Ukrainian drones headed for Moscow on Sunday, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said. Sobyanin, writing on the Telegram messaging app, said specialists were examining fragments of the drones near the Russian capital. He made no mention of damage or casualties.