Russian Ambassador To UN Vitali Churkin Dies A Day Before 65th Birthday

Russian ambassador to United Nations, Vitaly I. Churkin, died suddenly on Monday at a hospial in New York, just one day ahead of his 65th birthday.

The real cause of his death is still not known, but it is learned he had died of an apparent heart attack.

Confirming death, the Russian Foreign Ministry didn’t detail to media the circumstances of Churkin’s death. Condolences were offered to his relatives.

According to the New York Post citing an insider, Churkin was rushed to a Manhattarn hospital from Russian embassy after the old man fell ill complaining a cardiac condition.

Churkin’s deputy Pyotr Ilyichev said, “The loss sustained by Russia is grave and irreplaceable… Ambassador Churkin remained at his work post until the last minute. He devoted his whole life to defending the interests of Russia and was to be found on the very front lines and in the most stressful posts.”

Churkin had been Russian ambassador to the UN for over a decade. He championed global flash points like Russian invasion of Ukraine and the country’s perspective on barbarity in Syria.

French UN ambassador Francois Delattre said he had always worked together in a spirit of mutual respect.