Dmitry Kobylkin

Dmitry Nikolaevich Kobylkin (Russian: Дмитрий Николаевич Кобылкин; born 7 July 1971) is a Russian politician who served as Governor of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug from 4 May 2012 until 29 May 2018, and as Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation from May 2018 until November 2020.

Biography

Early life and education

Kobylkin was born to geophysicist parents on 7 July 1971, in Astrakhan. In 1993, he graduated from the Ufa Oil Institute, specialising in mining engineering and geophysics.

Kobylkin attended the occupational retraining institute at the Ural Academy of Public Administration (a branch of RANEPA) specialising in State and Municipal Management, completing a Doctor of Economic Sciences in 2004.

Career

From 1994 to 1995, Kobylkin was a geologist on the Tarkosalinskoye oil and gas exploration expedition.

From 1996 to 2001, Kobylkin was the Personnel Director and first Deputy General Director at Purneftegazgeologiya. Starting in 2000, he led the development of the Khancheiskoye field and managed oil and gas exploration there.

In May 2001, Kobylkin was appointed General Director of Khancheineftegaz.

In 2002, Kobylkin was elected Deputy Head of the Administration of the Purovsky District, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area.

In 2005, Kobylkin was elected Head of the Purovsky District.

In 2009, Kobylkin was included in the personnel pool of the President of the Russian Federation.

In March 2010, Kobylkin was nominated by the Russian President and later confirmed as Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by the region's Legislative Assembly.

On 12 March 2015, Kobylkin was appointed Acting Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by the Presidential Executive Order.

On 1 October 2015, Kobylkin was elected Governor of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Area by the region's Legislative Assembly.

On 18 May 2018, Kobylkin was appointed Minister of Natural Resources and Environment as part of the Second Medvedev Cabinet. He was re-appointed on 21 January 2020 during the transition to the Mishustin Cabinet. However, Kobylkin left his post as Minister on 9 November 2020 during a reshuffle of Mishustin's government. During the 2021 Russian legislative election on 19 September, he received a mandate to be a deputy of the 8th State Duma as part of the United Russia party-list. Since taking office on 12 October 2021, he has chaired the State Duma Committee on Ecology, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection.