Moscow Sends a Crisis Specialist to Athens

by · Greek City Times

Moscow has named a new Russian ambassador to Greece, replacing Andrei Maslov after 12 years with Yuri Gorlach, a career diplomat who has run the foreign ministry’s crisis centre.

President Vladimir Putin signed two decrees on 2 October 2026. One relieved Maslov of his duties in Athens, while the other appointed Gorlach as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Greece.

On 16 October, the Russian Foreign Ministry published the appointment and a short biography. The move drew little attention in Greece until local media reported it on Monday.

At the time, the embassy’s website still listed Maslov rather than the new Russian ambassador, Greek media reported.

Read more: Russia Orders Closure of German Consulate in Saint Petersburg

Who is Yuri Gorlach

Born in 1960, the new Russian ambassador graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1983. He joined the Soviet diplomatic service the same year.

From 2005 to 2014, he was deputy director of the ministry’s Pan-European Cooperation Department. He then moved to Brussels as Russia’s deputy envoy to NATO and later served as acting permanent representative until 2021.

Since October 2021, Gorlach has headed the ministry’s Situation and Crisis Centre. The unit tracks emergencies abroad and helps Russians caught up in them.

According to the ministry, he has held the top diplomatic rank of ambassador since June 2023. He speaks English and Spanish, and his awards include the Order of Honour.

Relations at a low point

The new Russian ambassador takes over at a difficult time for ties. Maslov arrived in Athens in July 2014, according to the Russian daily Kommersant. During his term, Greece and Russia expelled each other’s diplomats in a 2018 row.

Ties worsened sharply after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Later that year, Maslov said bilateral relations had completely stopped.

Moscow has replaced its ambassadors in London and Paris too, Greek media said, citing the TASS news agency. It has not yet named successors there. In Turkey, Moscow appointed former deputy foreign minister Sergei Vershinin.

The change comes as Washington also looks for a new envoy in Athens. Following the exit of Kimberly Guilfoyle, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Greece deserves a strong ambassador.

The new Russian ambassador must present his credentials in Athens to start work. Neither side has announced a date for his arrival.

Source: Proto Thema

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