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Refinery in Schwedt: Oil from Russia is still arriving
Photo: Jochen Eckel / IMAGO
According to Russian sources, Ukraine has stopped sending Russian oil to south-eastern Europe via the Druzhba pipeline since August 4.
According to the Russian pipeline monopolist Transneft, the reason is that Ukraine was unable to receive the transit fees from Moscow because of Western sanctions.
"At the moment, the transit of oil through the territory of Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline is stopped," the company, which operates the Slovakian section of the pipeline that runs west to the Czech Republic, said in an email reply Questions from the Reuters news agency.
Ukraine's Ukrtransnafta halted Russian oil supplies through Slovakia after a transit payment made by Russia's Transneft was returned to the company.
The background is apparently a dispute over money.
According to the company, the payments to the Ukrainian pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta were made on July 22nd.
However, the money was returned on July 28 because the payment did not go through.
According to Gazprombank, which processed the payment, the money was returned because of EU restrictions.
Russia normally supplies about 250,000 barrels per day to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline.
However, Germany is not directly affected by the delivery stop: The northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Poland and Germany, does not run through Ukraine, but through Belarus.
These deliveries would continue "as usual," said Transneft.
In April, the EU countries agreed on a gradual oil embargo against Russia.
However, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, with reference to their heavy dependence on Russian supplies, pushed through an extensive exemption from supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
ani/mic/Reuters/AFP