Putin dismissed Dagestan's governor Melikov and staged a spectacle with his successor

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin announced the dismissal of Dagestan’s head, Sergei Melikov, and his reassignment to another position.

This was revealed during a meeting with representatives of the republic, where they simultaneously discussed the candidacy of the region’s new leader—in a format that looked like a pre-staged “performance.”

According to Putin, Melikov’s term ends in September, but he is already stepping down. It is not specified where exactly he will be transferred.

Fyodor Shchukin, who currently heads the region’s Supreme Court, is set to become the new head of Dagestan. His candidacy was announced during the meeting, after which Putin immediately endorsed the decision.

Meanwhile, the position of head of the republic’s government may be filled by Magomed Ramazanov, the deputy plenipotentiary representative of the president in the Far Eastern Federal District.

Formally, the head of Dagestan is elected by the local parliament from among candidates proposed by the Russian president, but in reality, key decisions are made in the Kremlin.

Russia is proposingto ban all Google services.

On December 4, Roskomnadzor announced the blocking of FaceTime, explaining that the messaging app is allegedly used for “organizing and carrying out terrorist acts, recruiting perpetrators, fraud, and other crimes.”