Russia’s ambassador to the United States dies, aged 66

Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Alexander Darchiev, has died “suddenly” at the age of 66 after just one and a half years in the job, Moscow’s foreign ministry announced on Wednesday.The ministry called Darchiev an “outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader and a kind colleague”. He was appointed to the position in March 2025.Moscow did not give more details on the death.Darchiev previously served as Russia’s ambassador to Canada between 2021 and 2024.He was appointed to the US role last year, shortly after Donald Trump returned to power, and several years into Moscow’s Ukraine offensive that has pitted Moscow against the west.Darchiev was a specialist in Russia-US relations and was the director of the foreign ministry’s North America department between 2014 and 2020.In 2022, when Russia attacked Ukraine, Darchiev called the move a “necessary measure”.