Alexander Darchiev, Russia's ambassador to the United States, has died at 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced Wednesday, saying only that he "passed away suddenly."
◾️ The Russian Foreign Ministry announces with profound sorrow that Alexander Darchiev, Ambassador of Russia to the USA, passed away suddenly on November 11, aged 66.
The cherished memory of our colleague will forever remain in our hearts.https://t.co/YKgRc2yuZk pic.twitter.com/bBLu9zMAe1— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) November 11, 2026
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later said Darchiev died in Moscow of an unspecified chronic illness, according to the Associated Press. A source told CNN that he had left Washington and gone back to Moscow, where he was being treated for a long-term illness.
The ministry's statement called him "an outstanding diplomat, an experienced leader, a kind friend, and a mentor" and "a brilliant expert on American affairs" who worked in "one of the most critical areas of Russian foreign policy." It gave no date or place for a funeral, and Zakharova said details of a memorial service would follow.
Putin sent Darchiev to
