Russian ambassador to US Alexander Darchiev dies 'suddenly' at 66

Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, has died at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday.Darchiev “passed away suddenly” on Wednesday, the annoucement said. President Vladimir Putin appointed the veteran diplomat, previously noted for his public denunciations of the West, to the post in Washington in March 2025 to lead a rapprochement with the Trump administration that has unsettled Ukraine and European countries, according to Reuters. The announcement called Darchiev "an outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader, a kind friend, and a mentor," as well as "a consummate professional and a brilliant expert on American affairs" who "served in one of the most critical areas of Russian foreign policy.”(AFP/Getty)Before serving as ambassador, Darchiev held several positions within Russia’s Foreign Ministry, according to the Russian embassy in the U.S.He graduated from Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1983. This is a developing story.