The Russian Foreign Ministry has announced the sudden death of Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, who was 66 years old. The ministry stated that he passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, barely a year and a half into his tenure in the US role. Moscow did not disclose any further details regarding his demise.
Darchiev was hailed as an "outstanding diplomat" with extensive experience in international relations, particularly in Russia-US ties. Born into a family of diplomats, he began his career in 1992 and served as the first secretary and head of the North America department in Russia's Foreign Ministry. He held key positions at the Russian Embassy in the US from 1997 to 2010, serving as an adviser and minister-counsellor. Prior to his appointment as ambassador to the US, he served as Russia's ambassador to Canada between 2014 and 2021.
During his tenure, Darchiev was vocal about several international issues, including Russia's offensive against Ukraine in 2022, which he described as a "necessary measure." He returned to the North America department in 2010 and served as its director until last year. The state-owned TASS news agency reported that Darchiev was born into the family of Nikita Ivanovich Darchiev, a diplomat and minister-counsellor of the Russian Embassy in Hungary.