Ukraine Turns Off South Branch of Druzhba Pipeline – Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia Left Without Russian Oil

Ukraine has halted Russian oil supply to the EU, RT reports. More precisely, Ukraine has stopped the transit of Russian oil toward Hungary and the Czech Republic through the Druzhba pipeline, Russian media report.

Ukraine’s state oil pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta has stopped pumping Russian crude through the southern branch of the Druzhba system to the EU, RIA Novosti news agency reported on Monday, citing Russia’s Transneft.

According to the report, transit supplies have been halted to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Igor Demin, spokesperson for the president of Transneft, told the agency that transit through Belarus in the direction of Poland and Germany continues.

Demin explained that Russia cannot make payments for transit due to EU sanctions, although the Ukrainian company is insisting on 100% prepayment for its oil transportation services.

– When making a payment for transit through the territory of Ukraine, the funds were returned to the account of Transneft – he said, adding:

– Gazprombank, which services payments, notified us that the payment was returned in accordance with the EU regulations, that is, the seventh package of sanctions.

Transneft stressed that it is working on alternative payment options for oil transit services via Ukraine, RT reports.

Druzhba, which is one of the longest pipeline networks in the world, carries crude oil some 4,000 kilometers from the eastern part of European Russia to refineries in the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

Ukrtransnafta

Transneft

Gazprombank

Igor Demin

Druzhba pipeline

halt of Russian oil supply to the EU

Russian oil supply to the EU

Russian oil transit

Russian oil

crude oil

seventh package of sanctions

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