Czechia stops receiving oil from Russia via Druzhba pipeline
Illustrative photo: Czechia has stopped receiving oil from Russia via the Druzhba oil pipeline (wikipediaюorg)
Czechia has stopped receiving Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. The country is prepared for such a development, the Czech oil pipeline operator MERO ČR reports.
"We have information about the cessation of oil supplies to Czechia via the Druzhba pipeline. We are in contact with all our partners, especially Orlen Unipetrol and the Administration of State Material Reserves, and we are swiftly addressing this situation," said MERO ČR spokesperson Barbora Putzová.
According to Putzová, there are currently no significant restrictions on oil supplies to Czech refineries, as the country had prepared for such events. MERO ČR spokesperson noted that state material reserves allow for the compensation of short-term disruptions in oil and petroleum product supplies for up to 90 days.
"The latest stress tests were successfully completed, and MERO ČR is ready to handle this new situation without serious problems. In an emergency, the TAL and IKL pipelines can serve as a full-fledged alternative to the Druzhba pipeline," Putzová added.
Druzhba pipeline
The Druzhba pipeline is the largest Russian oil supply route to Europe. In Belarus, it splits into two branches.
- The northern branch leads to Poland and Germany, but after the European Union imposed sanctions, the transportation of Russian oil through this route ceased. Since early 2023, it has been replaced by Kazakh oil.
- The southern branch runs through Ukraine to Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia.
This pipeline remains important for some countries, such as Hungary.
Read more about the situation with oil transit in our material.
