Russia's antimonopoly authority, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS), on Thursday demanded an explanation from a major fuel retailer in Moscow after the company raised the price of 95-octane petrol by 19% in the past week, Reuters reports.
The request was sent to Neftmagistral, which operates about 100 petrol stations in the Moscow region and the Russian capital. The company has not commented publicly on the regulator's inquiry.
The price hike comes against the backdrop of Ukrainian drone attacks on an oil refinery in the Moscow region that supplies the region with fuel. However, Moscow Oblast has not yet been hit by the supply disruptions that have been reported in other regions after similar strikes in recent months.
As of Thursday, the price of 95-octane gasoline at Neftmagistral gas stations had reached about 95 rubles ($1.30) per liter, up from about 80 rubles per liter on June 15.
A Reuters witness on the ground in Moscow said there were no visible queues at gas stations. Meanwhile, other major oil companies operating in the capital are offering significantly lower fuel prices on their websites.
Rosneft said gasoline at its Moscow gas stations cost 73.6 rubles per liter on Thursday.