Russian Ambassador to the US Alexander Darchiev has died suddenly at the age of 66, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said. The ministry did not give a cause of death or provide details about the circumstances.
“The leadership and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia deeply mourn the sudden death on November 11, in the 67th year of his life, of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the United States, Alexander Nikitich Darchiev,” the statement said.
The Foreign Ministry described him as an “outstanding diplomat, experienced leader, good friend and mentor.” So far, there has been no public statement from US authorities about the cause of death or any subsequent actions concerning the diplomatic mission.
A career linked to North America
Darchiev was born on May 14, 1960. He graduated from the History Department of Moscow State University in 1983 and joined the diplomatic service in 1992. He spent a significant part of his career working on Russia’s relations with the US and Canada.
He worked at the Russian Embassy in Washington during two periods – from 1997 to 2002 and from 2005 to 2010. Between 2014 and 2021, he was Russia’s ambassador to Canada. After returning to Moscow, he headed the North America Department and later the North Atlantic Department of Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
President Vladimir Putin appointed him ambassador to the US on March 6, 2025. The appointment came after a period during which the post had been vacant following the departure of his predecessor, Anatoly Antonov, in October 2024. Darchiev arrived in Washington at the end of March 2025.
During his tenure, he took part in Russian-American consultations on the work of diplomatic missions, visa issues and the disputed properties of the two countries. It has not been announced who will perform the duties of Russia’s ambassador to the US until his successor is appointed.
Sources: absatz.media, tass.com