State Duma approves Oksana Lut for Russian agriculture minister

MOSCOW. May 14 (Interfax) - The State Duma on Tuesday approved First Deputy Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut for the post of Russian agriculture minister, an Interfax correspondent reported.

Lut has replaced Dmitry Patrushev, who will become deputy prime minister and will oversee the agricultural sector and the environment.

Lut was born in Moscow on February 25, 1979. She graduated from the Russian government's Financial Academy in 2001.

Lut worked at Alfa Bank from September 2000 to April 2003 and held a position at VTB from April 2003 to January 2010.

Lut headed the investment programs department at Rostec and the non-core assets service of the state corporation's investment projects department from January to October 2010.

From October 2010 to July 2018, she held a number of positions at Russian Agricultural Bank (RusAg), such as the post of director of the customer relations department, director of the corporate business development department, director of the large business department, and deputy CEO.

Lut served as deputy agriculture minister from July 2018 to December 2021 and was appointed first deputy agriculture minister on December 30, 2021.

Lut has become Russia's second female agriculture minister after Yelena Skrynnik, who held this post in 2009-2012.