Russia’s Ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has died at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
The ministry did not disclose the cause of Darchiev’s death. In a brief statement, it said that “an outstanding diplomat, experienced leader, kind colleague and mentor has passed away,” describing the late ambassador as a “ professional of the highest order and a brilliant expert on American affairs.”
Darchiev replaced Anatoly Antonov as ambassador to the United States in early 2025.
A seasoned diplomat, Darchiev previously served at Russia’s Embassy in Washington in the late 2000s before holding positions in the Foreign Ministry. He later spent six years as Russia’s ambassador to Canada and headed the ministry’s North American Department for the past four years.
Darchiev is a protegé of Putin aide Yury Ushakov, Boris Bondarev, a former Russian diplomat in Geneva who publicly resigned in protest of the invasion of Ukraine, told The Moscow Times last year.
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