Russian ambassador to United States Alexander Darchiev dies at 66
Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States since March 2025, died suddenly in Moscow at age 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Russia's ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, died suddenly in Moscow at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday. The ministry said Darchiev had been dealing with a chronic illness and described his death as unexpected.
"Alexander Darchiev served in one of the most demanding areas of Russian foreign policy," the ministry statement read, adding condolences to his family and loved ones.
Darchiev had been appointed ambassador to Washington in March 2025. His tenure coincided with a period of reduced tensions after President Donald Trump opened bilateral talks with Moscow and reduced aid to Ukraine. Prior to his U.S. posting, he led the Foreign Ministry's North Atlantic Department in Washington and served as Russia's ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021.
The ministry noted that a similar sudden death had occurred nearly a decade earlier when Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, died in 2017 at age 64. According to the World Bank, the average life expectancy for men in Russia is 68 years.