Russia’s ambassador to the United States, Aleksandr Dartsiyev, has died suddenly at the age of 66, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced.
The ministry stated that Dartsiyev passed away on November 11, with ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova noting in a separate statement that he died in Moscow from a chronic illness. Zakharova did not specify the exact nature of the illness.
Dartsiyev had assumed his post as the Russian ambassador to the U.S. in March 2025. President Vladimir Putin had appointed the veteran diplomat to help advance a thaw in relations with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, although Dartsiyev was also known for past public statements critical of Western nations.
Before his Washington assignment, Dartsiyev served as Russia’s ambassador to Canada from 2014 to 2021, according to the independent Russian news site Meduza. His career in the Russian Foreign Ministry began in 1992, and he previously worked as a minister-counsellor at the Russian embassy in the United States from 2005 to 2010. In February 2025, he led the Russian delegation in bilateral talks with the United States held in Istanbul.
Following the announcement, the Russian Foreign Ministry expressed its deepest condolences to Dartsiyev’s family and loved ones, describing him as a highly competent diplomat and an exceptional U.S. expert who worked in one of the most demanding fields of Russian foreign policy.
The sudden passing drew comparisons from CNN to the 2017 death of Vitaly Churkin, Russia’s United Nations ambassador, who died of a heart attack at age 64 just a day before his 65th birthday. According to World Bank figures, the average life expectancy for men in Russia is 68 years.
