Marat Kambolov has become the so-called “prime minister” of occupied Tskhinvali/South Ossetia after the region’s de facto “president” Alan Gagloev signed a decree on his appointment on June 16, following approval of his candidacy by the de facto “parliament.” He succeeds Dzambalot Tadtayev, who resigned on June 6 after holding the post since February 2026.
The appointment of Kambolov, 61, who had held a number of positions in Russian federal government bodies for many years, came amid the so-called “Treaty on Deepening Allied Cooperation” between Tskhinvali and Moscow, signed by Gagloev and Vladimir Putin on May 9 and ratified by both sides. Addressing de facto deputies before the vote on Kambolov’s candidacy, Gagloev also referred to the treaty, saying it opened a “new stage” in relations with Russia.
Before being nominated as the new de facto prime minister, Kambolov served for nearly two weeks as an adviser to Gagloev and was officially tasked, among other duties, with overseeing implementation of the treaty.
Addressing the de facto “parliament,” Kambolov spoke, among others, about population decline, identifying it as a “key issue” and “main challenge” facing the region, as well as education, healthcare, and business.
He also emphasized the importance of “strategic partnership” with Russia, saying, “We are bound by a shared historical memory and a shared responsibility for the future. It was thanks to Russia’s decisive actions that peace and security for our people were ensured during the most difficult period.”
Born in Russia’s North Ossetia-Alania republic in 1965, Kambolov graduated from the Gorsky Agricultural Institute in Vladikavkaz in 1988 and later earned degrees from Moscow State Social University and the Russian Academy of Public Administration.
He spent much of his professional career in senior positions within Russian federal government bodies, including the ministry of education and the ministry of nationalities and federal relations. In 2014, he joined Russia’s national research center “Kurchatov Institute,” where he served as director from 2021 to 2025, before being appointed as advisor to Gagloev on May 27, 2026.
Reaction From Tbilisi
While the ruling party has not commented on Kambolov’s appointment, former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia’s opposition For Georgia party condemned the move as aimed at “de facto annexation” of Georgian territory by Russia.
“The so-called ‘governmental changes’ carried out by the occupation regime, along with the direct appointment from Moscow of an active official of the Russian federal government to key positions within the puppet regime, are not merely routine personnel reshuffles,” For Georgia said in a June 17 statement.
It added, “The Russian Federation has launched a new stage of the annexation of Georgian territory in the occupied Tskhinvali region. This constitutes the practical implementation of the so-called ‘Agreement on Deepening Allied Relations,’ signed between Moscow and the Tskhinvali regime in May of this year.”
The party called upon the Georgian Dream government and the disputed parliament to “end your silence, return to the constitutional framework, restore active engagement with our international partners, and support the anti-annexation resolution.”
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