Russian citizen Marat Kambolov has assumed the role of acting de facto leader of Tskhinvali after Alan Gagloev vacated the “post.”
The so-called “president” Gagloev announced his decision after a meeting on June 22 with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, in turn, appointed him as his advisor.
Tskhinvali authorities stated that “under the Constitution,” the acting leader must be the so-called “prime minister” of the occupied region of Georgia. Marat Kambolov was appointed to this “post” on June 16 of this year, having spent just a week in the role. Prior to that, the Russian official had been appointed as a “state advisor” to Alan Gagloev.
Marat Kambolov is a Russian citizen, born in North Ossetia-Alania. He graduated from the agricultural institute in Gori and spent most of his career in leadership positions within Russian federal agencies—including the Russian 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.
According to observers and experts, he was the one tipped to become the “leader” of Tskhinvali during the “elections” of the so-called “president” in 2027, which are scheduled to take place in the occupied Tskhinvali region.
