Russian ambassador to India dead, Modi condoles

The Russian ambassador to India, Alexander Kadakin, died here on Thursday following a brief illness, the Russian embassy said. He was 68.

The embassy said in a statement that Kadakin, who started his diplomatic career in 1971, was "closely associated with promoting India-Russia relations".

"He passed away in a New Delhi hospital after a brief illness," it said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was "deeply saddened" by the death.

"Deeply saddened," Modi tweeted. "He was an admirable diplomat, a great friend of India and a fluent Hindi speaker who tirelessly contributed to stronger India-Russia ties."

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup also paid homage to the envoy.

"In Kadakin, we lost a valued friend who nurtured India-Russia relationship for many decades as a distinguished Russian diplomat," Swarup said.

Kadakin had been the Russian ambassador to India since 2009.