Three years later, "Tatneft" opened its first gas station in the Kirov region.

      In the village of Shikhovo in the Slobodsky district, the first gas station of PJSC "Tatneft" in the region has started operations. This event marks the first step of a major player in the oil market into the territory of the Kirov region. Following the launch of the first pump, the company announced an expansion: in the near future, the opening of two more gas stations is planned — at 25b Proizvodstvennaya Street and at 9 Solnechnaya Street in Kirov. The expansion of the network occurred after a series of negotiations between the leadership of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Kirov authorities at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. At that time, the parties signed a cooperation agreement, and "Tatneft" received the "green light" to enter the local market. The region is already expecting that the emergence of a new federal network will force local operators to reconsider their pricing policies. According to local authorities, increased competition could theoretically freeze fuel price growth. However, for now, this is only about strategic plans, not actual dynamics on price tags. Despite the physical existence of the gas station in Shikhovo, it is not marked on the official "Tatneft" website in the "Gas Station Map" section for the Kirov region. Let us remind you that Governor Alexander Sokolov announced the arrival of "Tatneft" in the region back in 2023. In 2024, according to official information, land plots were even allocated for the construction of gas stations. However, not a single gas station has appeared since then up to the present moment.