Just as Oracle is reportedly about to draw a "Get Out of EC Jail Free" card next week, Russia's regulators have waded into the situation and are threatening to hold up its acquisition of Sun Microsystems.

Russia's Federal Anti-Monopoly Service (FAS) Wednesday decided to kick off an investigation and seek more information about the deal from both Sun and Oracle as well as anybody else who wants to put his two cents in.

It's unclear how long such an investigation could take but it could add months to closure even if remedies aren't required.

Russia's formal notice of the investigation specifically mentions - in Russian - that Oracle will be acquiring MySQL.

MySQL creator Monty Widenius, who has been waging a petition war against the deal, is expected to take advantage of the window of opportunity the Russians have given him and plop his petition in front of the FAS Monday. It currently has over 29,500 signatures including some 800 Russians, a number doubled just this week. Other critics are also reportedly prepared to poison the well.

It is believed the European Commission, suddenly sensitive to Sun's nosedive, is going to approve Oracle's acquisition of Sun early next week without any conditions and that it could reportedly be embarrassing for the EC if other jurisdictions ultimately secured real, formal remedies when Brussels did not.

Oracle is reportedly playing the setback as procedural.

If you read Russian see http://www.fas.gov.ru/merger/notifications/a_28550.shtml.