Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has died suddenly at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday.
The ministry confirmed his death on November 11, 2026, but did not disclose the cause or circumstances surrounding his passing.
Darchiev’s death comes at a sensitive period in relations between Moscow and Washington, with the veteran diplomat having served as Russia’s top envoy in the US during renewed diplomatic engagement and continuing tensions over the war in Ukraine.
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In a tribute, the Russian Foreign Ministry described him as an “outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader, a kind colleague, and a mentor”.
It said he had devoted much of his career to “one of the most critical and demanding areas of Russian foreign policy”.
President Vladimir Putin appointed Darchiev as Russia’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States in March 2025, following high-level diplomatic talks in Istanbul.
He assumed the position shortly after Donald Trump began his second term as US President, placing him at the centre of efforts to manage communication between the two countries amid disagreements over Ukraine and wider international security issues.
Darchiev also served as Moscow’s Permanent Observer to the Organisation of American States.
Born in 1960 into a diplomatic family, he graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1983 and joined the Russian foreign service in 1992.
He later emerged as one of Russia’s leading specialists on North American affairs, serving as Minister-Counsellor at the Russian Embassy in Washington between 2005 and 2010.
He also headed the Foreign Ministry’s North America Department on two occasions.
Between 2014 and 2021, Darchiev served as Russia’s ambassador to Canada, managing diplomatic relations with Ottawa following Moscow’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.
His service earned him several Russian state honours, including the Order of Friendship in 2019 and the Order of Honour in 2022.
The Kremlin had yet to announce his successor in Washington or name an interim chargé d’affaires at the Russian Embassy.
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