Kambolov intensified his election activity against the backdrop of weak campaigning from competitors.

Ten days before the presidential elections in South Ossetia, the acting head of the republic, Marat Kambolov, expanded his public activity: he opened a public support headquarters, responds to residents' appeals, and outlines the priorities for the republic's development. Meanwhile, the campaigning of his opponents remains barely noticeable.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on September 6, Kambolov reported on the work of the public support headquarters, stating that in two months, his activists managed to achieve progress on issues that had been accumulating for years. Social media users urged Kambolov to not forget his election promises and to resolve the stated problems.

Election campaigning is not noticeable on the streets of Tskhinval

15:44 03.09.2026

Analysts considered the candidates' speeches in the presidential debates in South Ossetia to be populism

The election rhetoric in the presidential debates in South Ossetia did not show a real focus on solving social problems, and their proposals – from fighting corruption to increasing control over security forces – are quite a safe demagoguery. Marat Kambolov, who is supported by Moscow, failed to stand out among the other candidates. The outcome of the elections is practically predetermined, which also affects the course of the debates, analysts noted.

On the streets of Tskhinval, ten days before the elections, there is practically nothing indicating the upcoming voting. No candidate, including Marat Kambolov, has yet practically used the right to place banners and leaflets, reported a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Of the four registered candidates, only Kambolov has opened a public support headquarters. The name of the headquarters does not mention the elections. "This should not be a headquarters for the duration of the campaign, but a constantly operating public institution – a place where people are heard, their interests are defended, and proposals and appeals are turned into concrete solutions," Kambolov wrote earlier in his Telegram channel.

In social networks, the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot" managed to find the page of candidate Kazbek Kodoev, where several videos of meetings with the population are published. The public activity of the other candidates remains barely noticeable.

In contrast, Kambolov's public and political activity has been growing in recent days. He holds meetings with Russian politicians and journalists and promptly responds to problems highlighted by well-known bloggers in South Ossetia. For instance, after activist Lali Gataeva published a video about a family with children living in a semi-ruined house, Kambolov instructed the mayor of Tskhinval to address this issue and invited Gataeva to join the work of the headquarters, noted the correspondent of "Caucasian Knot".

Kambolov continued promises to improve life in South Ossetia

Among the top priorities are salaries, social issues, healthcare, and pensions, Kambolov stated in an interview with military correspondent Alexander Sladkov. The video recording of the interview was published on September 7 in Kambolov's Telegram channel.

"In the top five, this is salary. All social issues, healthcare, pensions. As for agriculture, we are just starting to raise it," Kambolov said.

A significant demand from residents is related to changes in the social sphere and infrastructure, he pointed out. "There is enormous interest in changes, especially regarding the social sphere first of all, infrastructure, the city. There is a very great need for this," said the acting president of the republic.

It is no longer possible to justify problems with the consequences of war

Kambolov also included the development of tourism among the tasks, noting the lack of hotels in the republic. During the interview, he spoke about the need to change the education system, address road issues, salary debts, and provide support to residents with serious illnesses.

It is no longer possible to justify current problems with the consequences of war, Kambolov emphasized. "It is no longer possible to justify that there was a war. Now we need to raise the economy, now we need to work. Good people live here, and they should live with dignity," he stated.

Recall that on July 19, it became known that Kambolov submitted documents to the Central Election Commission after being nominated for the presidency and secured public support from Vladimir Putin. On August 22, less than a month before the elections, there were practically no campaign materials on the streets of South Ossetia, and the media predominantly covered Kambolov's work.

The Russian military operation "to enforce peace" was conducted from August 8 to 12, 2008, on the territory of Georgia, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia and is known in history as the "Five-Day War". After the "Five-Day War", Russia and some other countries recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Since then, Georgia has considered Abkhazia and South Ossetia as territories occupied by Russia and has severed diplomatic relations with Russia, according to the "Caucasian Knot" reference on the "Five-Day War" of 2008..