UN death shocker

Russia diplo’s cardiac

The Russian ambassador to the United Nations died Monday, a day before his 65th birthday, after suffering a heart attack at his Manhattan office, sources told The Post.

Vitaly Churkin, who passionately defended his nation’s policies, especially on Syria, fell ill at the Russian UN mission on East 67th Street at around 9:30 a.m.

He was taken to New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 10:55 a.m., the sources said.

Churkin (right) had served as Russia’s permanent representative to the United Nations since 2006.

His death was announced, and followed by a moment of silence, at a routine meeting on General Assembly matters.

The Russian Foreign Ministry offered no details about Churkin’s death. Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in a Facebook post, called him “an extraordinary person. A bright man. We have lost a dear one.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin “was grieved to learn about the death of Vitaly Churkin. The head of state highly estimated Churkin’s professionalism and diplomatic talents,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Churkin was the longest-serving member of the Security Council, the UN’s most powerful body, which was set this week to discuss issues in Ukraine and Syria.

“He has been such a regular presence here that I am actually quite stunned. Our thoughts go to his family, to his friends and to his government,” said Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the UN secretarygeneral’s office.

Churkin had recently made Russia’s views heard on the conflict in Syria, sparring with diplomats from the United States and other Western countries over whether to take action to end the civil war.

He slammed then-US Ambassador Samantha Power last year for acting like “Mother Teresa” — while noting America’s track record in the Middle East — after she lambasted Russia, Syria and Iran over the crisis in the war-ravaged Syrian city of Aleppo.

“Devastated by passing of Russian UN Amb Vitaly Churkin. Diplomatic maestro &deeply caring man who did all he cld to bridge US-RUS differences,” Power tweeted Monday.

New American UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who earlier this month blamed Russia for the spike in violence in eastern Ukraine and said sanctions wouldn’t be lifted until Moscow returned Crimea to Ukraine, remembered Churkin as “a gracious colleague.”

“We did not always see things the same way, but he unquestionably advocated his country’s positions with great skill,” she said.