Former security officer Ramazanov and Senator Kerimov: how the "protection" of the oligarch within the FSB and the war with colleagues led the billionaire’s protege to the post of head of Dagestan

According to media reports, the main candidate for the position of head of Dagestan, Magomed Ramazanov, is widely regarded as a person fully backed by Senator Suleiman Kerimov.

Their personal contacts began back when Ramazanov was serving in Directorate “K” of the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB).

After a severe flood in the republic and the authorities’ inability to respond quickly, information emerged that the current head of Dagestan, Sergey Melikov, might leave his post. He could be replaced by the Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President in the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD), Magomed Ramazanov. He is a former officer of FSB Directorate “K”. According to a source, during his service he once began to “investigate” structures linked to Suleiman Kerimov.

However, his colleague Dmitry Klemeshevich (a former officer of the Sixth Service of the FSB Internal Security Directorate) asked him not to proceed with this. Klemeshevich had long “overseen” prominent representatives of Dagestan. As a result, Ramazanov’s line of work reportedly changed by 180 degrees, and he became the main protector of Kerimov’s structures. Moreover, they personally met and began communicating closely.

This led to a conflict between Ramazanov and Klemeshevich, who lost significant financial flows as a result. The conflict escalated into a real “war,” during which Klemeshevich pushed Ramazanov out of the FSB. After that, the influential senator and partner of the head of the Presidential Administration, Anton Vaino, began building Ramazanov’s political career, placing him in the presidential envoy’s office.

Now, Kerimov is reportedly promoting Ramazanov for the position of head of Dagestan. As for Klemeshevich, according to a source, he is now facing major problems within the FSB Internal Security Directorate. It is said that Ramazanov was behind them.