Russian Ambassador to the United States Alexander Darchiev died unexpectedly at age 66 on November 11, 2026, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.
The ministry stated that "Alexander Darchiev, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the USA, passed away suddenly on November 11, aged 66." Authorities did not immediately disclose the cause of Darchiev's death or confirm whether he was in the United States when he died.
Darchiev had served as Moscow's top envoy in Washington since March 6, 2025, alongside his role as permanent observer to the Organization of American States. Born in 1960, he completed his studies at Lomonosov Moscow State University in 1983 and attained the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in 2016.
Darchiev worked as minister-counselor at the Russian Embassy in Washington from 2005 to 2010 before serving as ambassador to Canada between 2014 and 2020. At foreign ministry headquarters, he led the North America Department from 2010 to 2014 and from 2021 to 2024, followed by directing the North Atlantic Department into early 2025.
