Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zakharova said in a social media post on November 11 that Alexander Darchiev, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, died that day in Moscow from a chronic illness.

Earlier the same day, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Darchiev had died suddenly at the age of 66. The ministry described him as an excellent diplomat and an outstanding expert on the United States, and said the work he did concerned “one of the most critical areas of Russian foreign policy.”

Darchiev was born in May 1960 and graduated in 1983 from the history department of Moscow State University. After joining the Russian Foreign Ministry in 1992, he worked throughout his career on diplomacy involving North America. His posts included minister-counselor at the Russian Embassy in the United States and Russian ambassador to Canada. From January 2021 to January 2025, he was director of the Foreign Ministry’s North America Department. In March 2025, President Putin signed an order appointing him ambassador to the United States.

Original report: The Paper