Vladivostok (Russia), April 26 (Reuters): Hundreds of motorists protested against rising prices of fuel and other goods in Russia’s east today.

In more than 300 cars, some bearing stickers saying: “We’re against inflation!”, they drove through Vladivostok, honking their horns before a rally that drew even more people opposed to the price rises. Prices for everything from bread to fuel and apartments are soaring in Russia as record prices for oil flood the country with petro-dollars.

Some analysts have warned that popular discontent over accelerating inflation could quickly spiral into a major problem for Russia’s next President, Dmitry Medvedev. “Considering what is happening with prices, I don’t understand why I am serving in this country,” Dmitry, a captain in the marines who declined to give his last name, told Reuters at the rally. “It seems the government doesn’t look after ordinary people at all.”

Finance minister Alexei Kudrin said this month that double-digit inflation was possible in 2008, though many people are sceptical of official forecasts and say prices are rising much faster than the government admits. “It’s getting difficult for me to say what I will bring home in a month. The fuel price is going up so quickly that our captain told us it might soon have an impact on our wages too,” said Oleg Kamyshenko, a ship’s mechanic.