Russian ambassador to UN Vitaly Churkin has died suddenly

In a brief statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry has announced that Churkin died suddenly in New York on February 20, a day before his 65th birthday."

Reuters said the Russian Foreign Ministry has declined to give details on the circumstances of his death. However, New York Post quoted sources as saying that the ambassador had died after suffering heart problems.

New York Post said that Churkin fell ill at the Russian Mission to the UN at around 9.30 am local time. He was given CPR and taken to the New York Presbyterian Hospital. He was pronounced dead at 10.55 am, the sources said.

His death was also announced during the session of the 71st Ad Hoc Working Group on United Nations General Assembly Revitalization at the UN headquarters.

Vitaly Churkin vetoed many UN resolutions. The last one was in October of 2016 aimed at stopping the Russian-Assad bombing of Aleppo.

Russia was the reason behind the paralysis of the Security Council in the face of the humanitarian disaster caused by Assad bombing on Syrians.