Russian Ambassador Alexander Darchiev Dies at 66

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced that Ambassador Alexander Darchiev had died at 66, describing his death as sudden. The ministry’s statement did not identify a cause or say where he died. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova separately said he died in Moscow from an unspecified chronic illness.

Darchiev was Russia’s ambassador to the United States, a post he took up in 2025 after succeeding Anatoly Antonov. His death leaves the position vacant, according to the reporting. The Foreign Ministry has not announced a date or location for his funeral; Zakharova said details of a memorial service would be released later.

The ministry’s announcement praised Darchiev as an experienced diplomat and leader, colleague and mentor. It also described him as a scholar of U.S. affairs. The statement offered no further explanation of the circumstances surrounding his death, and the cause supplied by Zakharova was not specified beyond the description of a chronic illness.

Darchiev had a long career in Russian diplomacy. Before becoming ambassador in Washington, he served as Russia’s ambassador to Canada and worked as a minister-counselor at the Russian embassy in Washington. He also...