Crude oil deliveries from Russia’s Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic have currently ceased, Czech Industry and Trade Minister Lukas Vlcek said on Wednesday.
“At the moment, no oil is flowing to us through the Druzhba pipeline. We are still investigating the reasons,” Vlcek said on the social media platform X.
Despite the disruption, Vlcek assured that there is no risk of an oil shortage for households and businesses, as steady supplies continue via the Italian TAL pipeline.
The European Union imposed sanctions in 2022 on Russian oil imports in response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. However, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary received temporary exemptions to allow time for securing alternative crude sources.
Currently, the Czech Republic relies on two main sources of crude oil. The Druzhba pipeline, transporting oil from Russia, accounted for 58 percent of the country’s supply last year, according to the Czech News Agency. The remaining supply is delivered through the German IKL pipeline, which connects to the Italian TAL pipeline.
Czech refiner Orlen Unipetrol confirmed a delay in Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline but said that its production remains unaffected.
Following a government meeting, Vlcek announced that the state is prepared to lend Orlen Unipetrol 330,000 tons of crude oil from state reserves if a prolonged disruption occurs.
The state-run oil pipeline operator Mero is currently investigating the cause of the complications with Druzhba supplies. ■