Russia’s Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) announced on 22 June that major digital platforms—Avito, Ozon, and Wildberries—have blocked or hidden advertisements for petrol and diesel sales. Avito temporarily removed more than 660 private listings, while Ozon and Wildberries now intercept fuel product cards at the moderation stage before they appear on their virtual shelves. The move, described by FAS as a measure to prevent speculative resales, comes as fuel prices at the pump have risen 6.6% since the start of the year and rationing has been introduced in at least 53 regions.

The platform restrictions are part of a broader enforcement push. FAS simultaneously disclosed that it had conducted unscheduled inspections of large oil traders on the wholesale market and opened a case against three companies—Solid-Tovarnye Rynki, Agrotorg Yug, and Hansel—for suspected coordination of exchange trades. The regulator alleges the traders entered into an anti-competitive agreement to resell gasoline and diesel at inflated prices, generating income on an especially large scale. Additionally, FAS has demanded that two Moscow-region retail chains, Neftmagistral and Trassa, submit data on weighted average fuel prices and sales volumes by 26 June, and has instructed its territorial offices to tighten oversight of fuel sales to agricultural producers.

The enforcement actions unfold against a backdrop of acute supply disruption. Ukrainian drone strikes have knocked out significant refining capacity, with Reuters citing industry sources estimating that daily gasoline production fell to around 90,000 metric tonnes in mid-June—roughly 20–25% below March levels and about 20% short of typical summer demand of 110,000 tonnes. The resulting shortages have triggered ad-hoc rationing across dozens of Russian regions and in annexed Crimea, where fuel sales were temporarily halted entirely after an attack on the Kerch ferry crossing. On Avito, private resellers had been offering petrol at prices ranging from 57 to 130 roubles per litre in Moscow, and up to 350 roubles in Sevastopol, far exceeding official pump prices.

The FAS investigations and data requests mark an escalation in the state’s response. The Energy Ministry has already formed an industry-wide task force with major corporations to stabilise the sector, and the government is reportedly exploring imports of gasoline by sea from Asia. The immediate milestone is the 26 June deadline for price disclosures from the two retail chains, which will feed into the regulator’s assessment of whether dominant players are abusing their position. Further outcomes will depend on the findings of the cartel probe and the effectiveness of the marketplace ban in curbing grey-market resales.