MOSCOW (Dow Jones)--Russia's antimonopoly watchdog has fined units of OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) and OAO Lukoil (LKOH.RS) for abusing their dominant market positions to increase fuel prices in southern Russia, the service said Wednesday.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service, or FAS, has fined OOO Gazprom Dobycha Astrakhan, a Gazprom subsidiary in Astrakhan, 14.3 million rubles ($560,000), while Nizhnevolzhsknefteprodukt, a Lukoil subsidiary, has been fined RUB4.3 million.
The service said the two companies charged "identical" prices for gasoline and diesel earlier this year.
In June, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin told the watchdog to begin probes into Russian fuel companies for charging for too much for jet fuel on the domestic market.
The head of FAS, Igor Artemyev, said Tuesday at a press conference that fines will be increased for abusing market positions.