TBILISI — The leader of South Ossetia, a small breakaway region of Georgia supported by Russia, announced Tuesday that he is leaving his post to serve as an adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
In a statement posted to a South Ossetian government website, Alan Gagloyev said his resignation takes effect immediately, and that he will be moving into a role within Russia’s presidential administration. He said his prime minister will take over as president in his place.
Gagloyev explained that his new role will focus on helping carry out a treaty signed between South Ossetia and Russia the previous year. He described the agreement as a step toward what he called a “cherished dream” — the full incorporation of the small territory into Russia.
South Ossetia is home to roughly 50,000 people. The region first separated from Georgia during the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, achieving de facto independence with significant support from Moscow.
A brief but intense war between Russia and Georgia erupted in 2008 over the territory, ending with Georgian forces being pushed out of areas they had previously held within South Ossetia.
In the aftermath of that conflict, Russia and a small number of other nations formally recognized South Ossetia — along with Abkhazia, another Georgian breakaway region — as independent states.
Over the years, various South Ossetian leaders have expressed a desire for the territory to one day become part of Russia. However, neither local officials nor the Kremlin have moved forward with an official vote on annexation.
