Sergey Alimovich Melikov (, ; born 12 September 1965), is a Russian statesman and military leader, who has served as the 5th Head of the Republic of Dagestan since 14 October 2021.

Melikov was a Senator from Stavropol Krai, from 2019 to 2020, representing from the executive power in office. He was First Deputy Director of the Federal Service of the Russian National Guard, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian National Guard troops from 2016 to 2019. Melikov was also the Plenipotentiary Envoy of the North Caucasian Federal District from 2014 to 2016.

Sergey Melikov

Melikov has the military rank of Colonel General and the federal state civilian service rank of 1st class Active State Councillor of the Russian Federation.

Sergey Melikov

Biography

Early life

Sergey Melikov was born on 12 September 1965 in the town of Orekhovo-Zuyevo near Moscow, to a family of service members. His mother was Russian, and his father a Lezgin.

Sergey Melikov

Military career

In 1986, Melikov graduated from the Saratov Higher Military Command Red Banner School of Internal Troops named after F. E. Dzerzhinsky with a degree in intelligence. After graduating, he was assigned as an officer for military service in a separate brigade of the Directorate of Internal Troops of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs in the Ukrainian SSR and the Moldovian SSR, served in Lvov, and Odessa, from the school. He was a member of the Communist Party. In 1994, he graduated from the Faculty of Border and Internal Troops of the Frunze Military Academy.

Between 1994 and 1996, Melikov served in the First Chechen War. From 1994 to 1995, he held the positions of senior assistant chief of staff of the regiment, and then battalion commander of the operational division. Since 1995, he has been a senior officer of the military intelligence section of the headquarters intelligence department. In 1996, he was appointed chief of staff and a deputy commander of the operational regiment of the operational division until 1997. In 1997, he was appointed deputy commander, and in 1998, he was promoted to commander of the 2nd regiment of the Separate operational division of the internal troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In March 2001, he took up the post of deputy commander of this division. In June 2002, he became its commander.

After completing his studies, Melikov was transferred to the North Caucasus District with the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In April 2008, he was appointed Chief of Staff, and First Deputy Commander of the Central Regional Command of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On 31 August 2011, Melikov graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces. On the same day, by decree of the President of Russia, he was appointed commander of the Joint Group of Forces (forces) for conducting counter-terrorist operations in the North Caucasus region of the Russian Federation as the First Deputy Commander of the North Caucasus Caucasian Regional Command of Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

On 8 May 2014, Melikov was appointed First Deputy Chief of the Main Staff of the Internal Troops of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The headquarters was headed by Colonel-General Sergey Bunin.

Plenipotentiary Representative of the North Caucasus Federal District

On 12 May 2014, Melikov was appointed Plenipotentiary Representative of the North Caucasus Federal District. On the same day, he was added to the Security Council of the Russian Federation by presidential decree. The following month, Melikov was dismissed from military service with official date of his discharge being the day of his appointment as Plenipotentiary Representative, with the rank of lieutenant general. He was also awarded the rank of State Councilor of the Russian Federation, 1st class.

On 28 July 2016, Melikov was relieved of his post as Plenipotentiary Representative and was appointed First Deputy Director of the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation and a Commander-in-Chief of the Russian national guard. By presidential decree of 12 August, his membership of the Security Council was revoked.

Service in the National Guard

On 26 August 2016, by decree of the President of the Russian, Melikov was awarded the military rank of Colonel General.

In 2017, RBC reported in speculation that Melikov was considered by the head of the Republic of Dagestan.

In June 2019, he submitted his resignation from the post of First Deputy Director of the Federal Service of the Russian National Guard.