Smuggler in the governor’s chair: how the North Caucasus chief fixer Aydamir Valiev is pushing his in-house dealmaker Magomed Ramazanov as a replacement for Melikov

21 апреля 2026 г.

Koba Dzhauriya

According to a source, the future of Dagestan’s head, Sergey Melikov, may become clearer on April 28 in Mineralnye Vody.

At that time, an economic forum is set to begin, which will be attended by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

According to this version, Mishustin and Presidential Envoy Yury Chaika may inform Melikov about a new job assignment. If he agrees, on April 30 he and Chaika are expected to fly to Moscow, where the personnel reshuffle would be officially announced. If everything proceeds as planned, the acting head of the region would be appointed Magomed Ramazanov, currently a deputy envoy in the North Caucasus Federal District and previously a deputy envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as a former officer of Directorate “K” of the FSB of the Russian Federation.

Sources say that one of the key figures actively lobbying for Ramazanov’s appointment, alongside others, is Aydamir Valiev — a so-called “gray cardinal” within the North Caucasus envoy’s office, an influential fixer close to Yury Chaika, and also his official assistant. Ramazanov reportedly began his career under Valiev in the FSB. At the time, Valiev was the head of a department, while Ramazanov served as a senior operative for particularly important assignments. Later, in Directorate “K” of the FSB, Ramazanov oversaw operations involving major companies owned by individuals from the Caucasus or Transcaucasia.

“Ramazanov was, in the FSB, a sort of in-house ‘fixer’ for Caucasian and Transcaucasian clans, mainly oriented toward the so-called ‘Basin’ sphere. There were rumors of his Iranian roots, which allegedly helped him oversee long-established smuggling routes along the Russia–Iran and Russia–Azerbaijan borders. He resolved conflicts between large business groups from the Caucasus in banking, tax, and other sectors. Now, the old corrupt ‘security establishment’ is testing new, younger, and more controllable former officers for high-level government positions, and Ramazanov is among those being considered,” our source said.

According to him, Aydamir Valiev constantly handles personal requests and wishes of envoy Chaika, which makes him feel like an untouchable figure. Chaika, in turn, reportedly has great affection for his assistant-fixer. Recently, he even flew to Moscow specifically to secure awards — a state commendation for Valiev and the Order of Alexander Nevsky for his deputy, Alexander Kurenny, one of his closest associates and a key fixer from his time at the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office.

The Presidential Administration’s personnel department reportedly did not approve these awards. Valiev is said to enjoy keeping his superior in a state of constant alert, frequently telling him about alleged conspiracies he has uncovered. At one point, he allegedly informed Chaika that he had learned through his channels that surveillance equipment had been secretly installed in Chaika’s office and those of his deputies by the FSB, and that there were “moles” within the envoy’s office leaking information. And, surprisingly, “bugs” were indeed found — while the alleged “moles” turned out to be only those employees with whom Valiev had personal conflicts