New Delhi: Long-serving Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin passed away on Thursday following a heart attack after a brief illness. He was 67. Fluent in Hindi, Mr Kadakin was the most experienced India-hand and had been Ambassador in New Delhi since November, 2009.
New Delhi said it had lost a “dear friend” who nurtured the Indo-Russian relationship for many decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply saddened at Kadakin’s death.
Never afraid to speak his mind, Kadakin had recently waded into controversy after complaining about the “inadequate” cash withdrawal limits for embassies by the government after demonetisation. But Kadakin also earned the gratitude of India after he supported the Army’s surgical strikes on terror launch pads in PoK.
“With deep regret and profound sorrow the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of India informs that Alexander Kadakin, ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary of the Russian Federation to the Republic of India, passed away on January 26,” the Russian Embassy said.
