Russian protégé Marat Kambolov could become the de facto prime minister of the Tskhinvali region. He was recently appointed ‘state advisor’ to the de facto leader of Tskhinvali, Alan Gagloev.
Moscow is reportedly grooming a new political figure in the occupied region of Georgia, aimed at reshaping the region’s political architecture ahead of the so-called presidential elections in 2027.
Marat Kambolov was born in North Ossetia-Alania, graduated from the agricultural institute in Gori, and spent most of his career in leadership positions within Russian federal agencies—including the Ministry of Education, the Ministry for Nationalities and Federal Relations, as well as serving as deputy head of the Federal Agency for Science and Innovation, deputy head of the Ministry of Education, and at the Kurchatov Institute research center, which is considered one of Russia’s most influential scientific and technological institutions.
Vedomosti previously reported that Kambolov is tipped to become the ‘head of government’ of the occupied region. Following this, the residency requirement issue will be resolved—as Kambolov has not resided in the Tskhinvali region continuously for 10 years—after which he will run in the de facto elections with Moscow’s backing.
Marat Kambolov is known to be well acquainted with the Ossetian elites and has close ties with Sergey Kiriyenko, deputy chief of staff of the Russian Presidential Administration, who oversees Russia’s domestic policy.
At the same time, Marat Kambolov is not associated with any clans in the occupied region of Georgia.