Commenting on YUKOS’s tax problems in late October, Presidential aide Igor Shuvalov told reporters that other Russian oil companies would also face tax inspections. The official noted that he personally had nothing to do with tax agencies.

Earlier this month, Russia's tax authorities notified TNK-BP of a RUR 2.5bn (about $87.14m) back tax claim for 2001. The amount of the claim is preliminary, and it could be corrected. TNK-BP has prepared a response to the tax inspection report, and the final sum of claim has not been determined yet.

The oil companies Rosneft, Slavneft and Tatneft are also preparing for tax inspections. However, analysts say tax claims against Russia’s large oil companies will be lower compared to those of YUKOS.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the business community to make a habit of paying taxes, instead of looking for tax evasion schemes. To pay taxes is not only in the interests of the state, but also in the interests of businesses themselves, he stressed.

The state would protect the interests of honest businesses, the President said at a congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. According to Mr. Putin, large scale investigations in the business sphere, including tax investigations, do not mean that every newly founded business posed a threat to government interests.