President Vladimir Putin has dismissed Transportation Minister Roman Starovoit just over a year after appointing him, according to a decree published Monday on the Kremlin’s official website.

The decree, which took immediate effect, did not specify the reason for Starovoit’s removal.

Putin replaced him with Deputy Transportation Minister Andrei Nikitin, who will now serve as acting transportation minister. According to anonymous sources cited by the business newspaper Vedomosti, the decision to replace Starovoit was made “several months ago.”

Later on Monday, the Kremlin published a video of the president meeting with Nikitin, telling the new appointee: “I hope you will apply all your energy, knowledge, skills and organizational abilities to tackle the critical challenges facing this sector.”

Nikitin resigned as governor of the northwestern Novgorod region in February to assume the deputy role.