Russia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, has unexpectedly died in New York City, the country’s foreign ministry says. Details about the cause of his death were not immediately available.
A brief statement from Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Churkin died on Monday morning while at work. It provided no information about the circumstances of his sudden death, which came just a day before his 65th birthday.
Sources told the New York Post that Churkin was working at Russia’s Permanent Mission to the UN when he suffered a “cardiac condition” at about 9:30 a.m. ET. He was unconscious and needed CPR while being rushed to New York Presbyterian Hospital, where he later died, the newspaper said.
A moment of silence was observed as Churkin’s death was announced at the United Nations.
Churkin served as Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations since 2006, making him one of Russia’s best-known figures on the international stage. Prior to that, he served as the Ambassador to Belgium and Canada.
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