Melikov Sergey Alimovich

A military and political figure, Colonel General, and former Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North Caucasus Federal District. On October 5, 2020, he was appointed Acting Head of Dagestan. He was elected Head of Dagestan on October 14, 2021. On April 30, 2026, the President of the Russian Federation announced that Melikov would be stepping down as Head of Dagestan; a decree to this effect was signed on May 4, 2026.

Resignation of the head of Dagestan 

On May 4, 2026, Vladimir Putin signed a decree dismissing the head of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Melikov's dismissal as head of the region on April 30, 2026, during a meeting with representatives of the republic. "The current head of the republic, Sergei Alimovich Melikov, will be leaving in September. He has accomplished a great deal, and we are grateful to him for that, but he is moving on to another position. Life goes on," the head of state said.

Putin did not specify when Melikov's last day as head of Dagestan would be. The president endorsed Fyodor Shchukin, Chairman of the region's Supreme Court, as his candidate for the republic's leadership .

According to experts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot," Melikov's sluggish response to the flood disaster was the final factor leading to his resignation. During his tenure as head of Dagestan, Melikov failed to stabilize the situation; the pogrom at Makhachkala airport, protests against mobilization, and terrorist attacks in Makhachkala and Derbent resonated throughout the country. He also failed to earn the trust of the republic's residents. 

Under sanctions

Since 2022, Sergei Melikov has been included in the sanctions lists of the UK, USA, Australia, Ukraine, and New Zealand.

On May 24, 2025, a Ukrainian court sentenced the head of Dagestan in absentia to eight years in prison for financing the Russian army. The charges stemmed from Melikov's order to create a special fund to support Russian troops and organized one-time payments to contract soldiers Melikov claimed that this was the Ukrainian side's way of recognizing his contribution to the special military operation.

Head of Dagestan

On October 14, 2021, at the second session of the People's Assembly of Dagestan, deputies elected Sergei Melikov, who had previously served as acting head of the republic.

Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed three candidates for this post: in addition to Melikov, electoral commission member Samir Abdulkhalikov, and People's Assembly Deputy Chairman Kamil Davdiyev. Abdulkhalikov and Davdiyev each received two votes, while Melikov received 82. A total of 87 of the 90 People's Assembly deputies voted, but one ballot was deemed spoiled.

In the September State Duma elections, Melikov led the United Russia party's federal list in Dagestan, which garnered 81.18% of the vote. He also gave up his seat in the lower house of the Russian parliament to run for the republic's governor.

Acting Head

October 5, 2020, the Russian president accepted Vladimir Vasilyev's resignation as head of Dagestan. Putin appointed Sergei Melikov, a member of the Federation Council representing Stavropol Krai, as acting head of the republic.

Political career

In 2014-2016, Sergei Melikov was the Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative in the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD)

On July 28, 2016, Melikov was appointed First Deputy Director of the Federal Service of National Guard Troops.

In 2017, journalists wrote about the consideration of the appointment of Sergei Melikov as head of the Republic of Dagestan.

On September 27, 2019, Stavropol Krai Governor Vladimir Vladimirov appointed Sergei Melikov as a Federation Council senator representing the region. His term was terminated early on October 5, 2020.

Service in the armed forces

In 1986, Sergei Melikov was assigned to the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs' Internal Troops Directorate for Ukraine and Moldova. He served in Lviv and Odessa in the escort forces.

After graduating from the M.V. Frunze Academy, Sergei Melikov was assigned to the Commander of the North Caucasus District of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, where he was appointed Senior Assistant to the Chief of Staff of one of the operational units.

Sergei Melikov served in the intelligence department of the North Caucasus District of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He rose through the ranks of command in a unit stationed in Novocherkassk, and later in the 2nd Regiment of the Separate Operational Purpose Division of the Internal Troops of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. He participated in combat operations during the First Chechen Campaign (1994-1996).

In March 2001, Sergei Melikov was appointed deputy commander of the Separate Orders of Lenin and the October Revolution, Red Banner, Operational Purpose Division (ODON, better known as the F.E. Dzerzhinsky Division), and in June 2002, he was appointed division commander. He held the position until April

In September 2011, by presidential decree, Sergei Melikov was appointed commander of the joint group of troops to conduct counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation - first deputy commander of the troops of the North Caucasus regional command of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia.

Sergei Melikov was awarded the military rank of Colonel General.

Biography

Born in 1965 in the Moscow region, Sergei Melikov is of Lezgin ethnicity. His father, Alim Nur-Magomedovich Melikov, is a retired colonel who commanded a brigade of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs' internal troops. His brother, Mikhail Melikov, is a major general and commander of the Novocherkassk operational division.

In 1982, he entered the Saratov Higher Military Command Red Banner School of Internal Troops named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky.

Since 1991, he studied at the Combined Arms Academy named after M.V. Frunze. He graduated from the Faculty of Border and Internal Troops.

His wife, Galina Anatolyevna, is a military doctor. His son, Mikhail, is a student at the Law Institute of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His stepson, Dmitry Serkov, is the commander of an assault group in the 1st Red Banner Special Forces Detachment "Vityaz." He was killed in action in Dagestan on August 2, 2007. In December of that year, he was posthumously awarded the title Hero of Russia by presidential.