List of ambassadors of Russia to Yemen

Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Kingdom of Yemen were first formalized on 1 November 1928.^[3] Georgy Astakhov [ru] served as diplomatic representative between May 1928 and November 1928, and then Karim Khakimov took over as plenipotentiary representative between 1929 and 1932.^[4] Despite this, no long-term formal exchange of diplomats was agreed, until 31 October 1955, with an agreement to open missions on 23 June 1956.^[3] Relations were initially handled through the Soviet embassy in Egypt, with the incumbent Soviet envoy to Egypt, Yevgeny Kiselyov [ru], given dual accreditation as the non-resident envoy to Yemen on 4 August 1956.^[4] Kiselyov was succeeded by Vladimir Yerofeyev on 14 August 1959, though the Soviet mission in Yemen had opened the previous year. Yerofeyev would eventually serve until 18 July 1962, with the establishment of consular relations on 9 June 1962, and the appointment of Nikolai Sulitsky [ru] as the first envoy accredited solely to Yemen.^[4] Shortly afterwards, the Yemeni monarchy was overthrown in a coup on 26 September 1962, establishing the Yemen Arab Republic. The Soviet Union became the first state to recognize the new regime, on 1 October 1962.^[3] Agreement was reached with the new regime to upgrade the mission to an embassy, and from 14 February 1963, Sulitsky served as ambassador to the Yemen Arab Republic.^[4]

The neighbouring British-controlled Protectorate of South Arabia and Federation of South Arabia had been facing an ongoing insurgency known as the Aden Emergency, resulting in the Withdrawal from Aden on 30 September 1967, and the declaration of the South Yemen, formally the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, that day. The Soviet Union was one of the first countries to recognize the new state, and diplomatic relations were established in early December 1967.^[3][5] On 18 December the two countries agreed to exchange embassies.^[5] Vladimir Startsev [ru] became the first Soviet ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, appointed on 4 April 1968. Ambassadors were thereafter exchanged between the Soviet Union and both the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.^[5] With Yemeni unification occurring on 22 May 1990, the incumbent Soviet ambassador to the Yemen Arab Republic, Veniamin Popov [ru], continued in post as ambassador to the new state of the Republic of Yemen.^[4]

The dissolution of the Soviet Union took place the following year, and Yemen recognized the Russian Federation as its successor state. The incumbent Soviet ambassador, Igor Ivashchenko [ru], continued as the Russian ambassador until 1995.^[4] Representation continued through the remainder of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first. By the late 2010s, the security situation in the country had deteriorated during the Yemeni civil war, and the Russian embassy was evacuated. Ambassador Vladimir Dedushkin [ru] served until 30 November 2021, after which representation was by chargé d'affaires, with the Minister-Counselor of the Russian embassy in Saudi Arabia, Yevgeny Kudrov [ru], appointed to this role.^[2] The embassy in Yemen was reopened in December 2024, with Kudrov continuing as chargé d'affaires until 1 October 2025, when he was appointed the new ambassador to Yemen.^[2]