Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service has requested pricing information from the TD Neftmagistral gas station chain after motorists complained about a sharp increase in fuel prices. The agency announced this itself.
What the FAS is requesting
The company must provide data on weighted average prices for gasoline and diesel fuel, sales volumes, profitability, and the economic justification for the price change. The agency said the review is being conducted as part of monitoring the petroleum products market and compliance with antitrust legislation.
What happened on June 18
On the morning of June 18, drivers reported a sharp rise in prices at some stations in the chain. According to Ostorozhno, Novosti, in Elektrostal, near Moscow, gasoline prices rose by about 30% overnight, with AI-95 approaching 100 rubles per liter.
At the same time, prices at other gas stations in the Moscow region remained unchanged, causing a rush there.
Company explanation and market context
Alexander Erastov, a co-owner of Neftmagistral, told Baza that the price increase was linked to changes in supply logistics, since the company now brings in fuel from Belarus.
Neftmagistral is an independent owner of a gas station chain and does not have its own refinery. Such smaller chains buy petroleum products on the wholesale market from vertically integrated oil companies, which are currently prioritizing supplies to their own retail networks. As a result, wholesale prices for independent operators are higher than retail prices at stations owned by those companies. Earlier, as Novaya-Europe wrote, about 40% of Russian refinery capacity had been affected by Ukrainian drone attacks.