Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S Putin's Victory Day truce "doesn't sound like much if you know where we started from," Trump told reporters at the White House on May 5 by Kateryna HodunovaHungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto in Brussels (Photo by Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)Oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline from Russia to Hungary are halted due to a Ukrainian drone attack on a metering station on Russian territory Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on March 11 on Facebook The Druzhba pipeline, one of the world's largest with a capacity of 2 million barrels per day (bpd), is a critical conduit for oil from Russian fields to European refineries Hungary imports most of its crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Druzhba pipeline in Russia's Oryol Oblast on March 11 Szijjarto said that the oil supply was halted "Due to the drone attack last night crude shipments had to be suspended on the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary," Szijjarto said "I have just talked to the energy minister of Russia then late afternoon or in the early evening crude shipments to Hungary can resume," he added The foreign minister called Ukraine to refrain from attacking the energy infrastructure supplying Hungary as "Hungary's energy supply is a matter of sovereignty." The EU has largely phased out Russian oil imports following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine the Druzhba pipeline's southern branch remains active under exemptions for certain Central European countries The northern branch primarily transports Kazakh crude oil to Germany via Poland's Gdansk port, as Poland ceased importing Russian pipeline oil in early 2023 Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Looking to access paid articles across multiple policy topics Interested in policy insights for EU professional organisations Industry and Trade Minister assured that domestic oil supplies remain secure either observed and verified directly by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Tuesday that Russian oil supplies were temporarily suspended via the Druzhba oil pipeline a key supply route for much of central Europe following large-scale Ukrainian drone strikes overnight His comments came as the Ukrainian military said it targeted the Druzhba pipeline in western Russia’s Oryol region “Explosions were recorded in the area of the ‘Steel Horse’ linear production control station which provides control over the technological processes of the Druzhba pipeline,” the Ukrainian military’s General Staff wrote on social media Steel Horse was attacked twice in December Szijjarto said he was informed by his Russian counterparts that supplies would be resumed later on Tuesday “We consider the attacks against an energy structure directed toward Hungary unacceptable,” the minister said in a Facebook video according to a translation from Hungarian into English Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had downed eight Ukrainian drones over the Oryol region which also targeted Moscow and the surrounding region were the largest since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine At least three people in the Moscow region were killed in air strikes Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 the European Union banned most oil imports from Russia but the Druzhba pipeline was exempted because countries like Hungary Slovakia and the Czech Republic rely on it for energy supplies Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help please support us monthly starting from just $2 and every contribution makes a significant impact independent journalism in the face of repression Crude oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline have resumed ending a suspension ordered last week due to a Ukrainian drone attack on a metering station Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Tuesday afternoon The resumption followed repairs by the Russian system operator to damage sustained in the attack Ukraine said it had struck an oil refinery near Moscow and a facility in Russia's Oryol region that is part of the Druzhba pipeline system Szijjarto had previously announced the suspension of crude shipments due to the attack disrupting oil supply to European destinations.  Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol confirmed that oil supplies to Slovakia via Druzhba were halted Tuesday and that flows were expected to resume in the evening The southern strand of the Druzhba pipeline with one line supplying Slovakia and the Czech Republic and the other reaching Hungary Russia's Transneft which operates the Druzhba pipeline within Russia did not immediately respond to a request for comment recorded in the area of the Steel Horse linear production dispatch station (Oryol region which manages technological processes for the Druzhba oil pipeline," Kyiv's General Staff said in a statement Hungary imports the majority of its crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline which transports Russian crude via Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia Supplies via Druzhba to Czech refineries have been halted since last week. Czech refiner Unipetrol said late Monday that it had begun drawing oil from state reserves to maintain production at its refineries The Global Knowledge Hub for Pipeline Operators and Industry Professionals The Pipeline Technology Journal (ptj) is the premier open-access publication dedicated to advancing innovation and connecting professionals within the global pipeline industry the ptj Journal serves as a vital resource for pipeline operators delivering high-quality technical insights With a reach of over 15,000 subscribers and additional distribution at leading international pipeline events ptj bridges the gap between cutting-edge research and practical application The journal is supported by a distinguished international editorial board ensuring content that is not only authoritative but also relevant to the challenges and opportunities facing the pipeline sector today Readers can benefit from a seamless experience through digital and printed formats along with the weekly ptj Newsletter and the ptj Website provide exclusive access to the latest advancements ptj empowers the pipeline community to drive innovation and shape the sustainable future of energy infrastructure CO2 • Bio Methane • District Heating/Cooling • Electricity • Hydrogen • Natural Gas • Oil • Petrochemicals • Slurry • Wastewater • Water • Others Contact Page Please read the Terms and Conditions below Use the scroll bar to read them in their entirety To acknowledge you have read and understood all of the terms whether obtained directly from Energy Intelligence a subscription management service (such as SWETS is governed by these Standard Terms and Conditions access and/or subscription to EI Services is provided to Subscriber as a limited non-exclusive and non-transferable license All rights in the EI Services not expressly granted in the Standard Terms and Conditions are reserved to Energy Intelligence In the event any term or condition contained in any subscription order form or subscription renewal or subscription invoice conflicts with the Standard Terms and Conditions the Standard Terms and Conditions shall control If any portion of the Standard Terms and Conditions conflicts with any term(s) of a separate valid and subsisting company-wide license between Energy Intelligence and Subscriber or with a valid and subsisting (multiple) named user subscription agreement between Energy Intelligence and Subscriber the terms of the Global License or Named User License are deemed to control (b) Access. 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go-to podcast to spice up your weekday mornings with relevant news and behind-the-scenes from Brussels and beyond From the economy to the climate and the EU's role in world affairs this talk show sheds light on European affairs and the issues that impact on our daily lives as Europeans Tune in to understand the ins and outs of European politics Dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries Deep dive conversations with business leaders Euronews Tech Talks goes beyond discussions to explore the impact of new technologies on our lives the podcast provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and society Europe's water is under increasing pressure floods are taking their toll on our drinking water Join us on a journey around Europe to see why protecting ecosystems matters and to discover some of the best water solutions an animated explainer series and live debate - find out why Water Matters We give you the latest climate facts from the world’s leading source analyse the trends and explain how our planet is changing We meet the experts on the front line of climate change who explore new strategies to mitigate and adapt The flow of oil from Russia to the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline was interrupted on Wednesday It was not immediately clear what had caused the problem “The Czech refiners are well prepared for such a situation and we have a robust system of state reserves,” Czech Industry and Trade Minister Lukas Vlcek said the state company that operates the pipeline adding that the country’s oil supplies were not threatened by the development The Czech Republic has 90 days of oil reserves and the TAL and the IKL pipelines are operating as usual Orlen Unipetrol refiner said its operations had not been affected the Czech Republic received an exemption from the EU following the bloc’s decision to ban imported Russian pipeline oil in 2022 as a result of Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine The three countries successfully argued that they needed time to change their energy systems The EU exemption for the Czech Republic to receive Russian oil ends on Thursday and it is understood that the Czech government will not seek to extend it Prague has invested to double the capacity of its Transalpine pipeline to eight million metric tonnes a year which reaches the Czech Republic as the IKL pipeline delivers oil from a marine terminal in Trieste The Czech Republic has been a staunch ally of Kyiv “Peace and security across Europe hinge on stopping Russian aggression," Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said earlier this year by Tim ZadorozhnyyThe Druzhba crude oil pipeline is seen near Stryi (John Guillemin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Russian oil deliveries to the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline have been halted Czech news channel CT24 reported on March 4 citing Industry and Trade Minister Lukas Vlcek "We control the situation and are prepared for such circumstances. Refineries in the Czech Republic are well prepared, and the state material reserve system is reliable, so I can assure everyone that there are enough oil reserves for both households and businesses," Vlcek said No mention was made of the cause for the halt in deliveries The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline transports Russian oil to Europe through two main branches: the southern route supplies Central Europe and the northern route serves Northern Europe This is not the first disruption to Druzhba's oil flow supplies were temporarily halted but resumed after two days Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced in January that Prague intends to completely stop Russian oil imports via Druzhba The country plans to rely instead on the Transalpine Pipeline which has been modernized to boost supply volumes The European Union imposed an embargo on Russian oil and oil products in June 2023 though the southern branch of Druzhba was temporarily exempted after which recipient countries must find alternative supply routes Tim Zadorozhnyy is a news editor at The Kyiv Independent he is pursuing studies in International Relations Tim began his career at a local television channel in Odesa he joined the Belarusian opposition media outlet NEXTA starting as a news anchor and later advancing to the position of managing editor (Reuters) — Kazakhstan's pipeline operator Kaztransoil said on Tuesday that oil supplies to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline will be increased to 135,000 metric tons (32,000 barrels per day) this month from the planned 130,000 tons Concerns about European supply have eased on reports that the Druzhba pipeline which sends Russian and Kazakh oil to Hungary has restarted after technical problems at a Russian pumping station halted flows on Thursday December supplies will be in addition to the 1.358 million tons sent earlier this year Kazakhstan also planned to export 122,000 tons of oil via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline that runs to Turkey this month on top of 1.342 million tons shipped in January-November One of our administrators will review your comment before posting it onto the website Oil deliveries to the Czech Republic via Russia's Druzhba pipeline have stopped for the second time in recent months but officials said there is no immediate threat of fuel shortages According to a news report published by EURACTIV on Wednesday morning Czech Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček confirmed the disruption and assured that domestic oil supplies remain secure "We are aware of the situation and are addressing it Refineries in the Czech Republic are well prepared for this scenario and we have a robust system of state material reserves in place," Vlček told the Czech News Agency He said the outage would not affect gasoline and diesel production a major Czech oil processor and distributor remains unrestricted and at full capacity," Orlen Unipetrol said on X the company requested an emergency oil loan from the State Material Reserves Administration to maintain full production at the Litvínov refinery Vlček and Orlen Unipetrol emphasised the Czech Republic's plan to end reliance on Russian oil, with the expanded Transalpine Oil Pipeline (TAL) expected to provide sufficient supplies from alternative sources as the country aims to fully transition to Western oil supplies by mid-2025 A similar supply halt occurred in December with Czech authorities attributing it to Russian pressure on local energy reserves.  either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content The U.S. is in talks with the German government and Russian officials to resume refinement of Russian oil from a major pipeline snaking through the NATO country according to German and independent Russian media reports A German government spokesperson told Newsweek they "reject the allegations stated in the mentioned reports." Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Germany's federal ministry for economic affairs for comment via email but countries backing Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion more than three years ago have attempted to cut off the vital source of income to Moscow's war effort The PCK refinery, close to the northeastern German town of Schwedt, is now served by Kazakh oil exports and is responsible for supplying the bulk of Germany's fuel, according to Reuters. Russian oil deliveries through Schwedt ceased in January 2023. President Donald Trump's apparent rapprochement with Moscow could change that authorities are discussing how to restart refinement of Russian oil from the Druzhba pipeline section in Germany German investigative outlet Correctiv and independent Russian outlet iStories jointly reported on Wednesday firms would purchase a majority share in the Schwedt refinery which is currently owned by the German subsidiary of Russian energy company citing anonymous sources familiar with the talks took control of the Schwedt refinery in fall 2022 The talks to restart Russian production are being handled by the chancellor's office and Berlin's finance ministry but have skirted away from involving the foreign ministry Dietmar Woidke, a politician with the country's Social Democratic Party serving as Minister President of Brandenburg backed a return to Russian oil at the refinery in comments to German media earlier this month the Financial Times reported at the start of March that U.S investors were discussing starting Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline supplies to Europe and that some Trump administration officials were aware of the discussions Germany's economy ministry said at the time that it is not in talks with Russia over a "possible pipeline-based supply of Russian gas" through Nord Stream 2 "Independence from Russian gas is of strategic importance to the German government in terms of security policy and it is sticking to it," the ministry in a statement German newspaper Bild reported earlier this month that U.S and Russian teams had held "secret talks" on turning back on Russian gas flow to Germany via Nord Stream 2 Authorities across several countries had investigated a series of blasts that damaged Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines in fall 2022 and Danish teams said last year the pipelines had been "sabotaged." and it is still not clear who was responsible for the damage Sweden closed its investigation in February Kirill Dmitriev, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, told CNN earlier this month that increasing cooperation between Moscow and Washington could "include energy," but did not elaborate further Ukrainian forces attacked the Druzhba pipeline passing through Russia's Oryol region has maintained contact with Russia throughout its war in Ukraine and receives much of its oil imports from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline ET: This article was updated with a response from a German government spokesperson Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all Shipments of Russian oil to Hungary were interrupted on Tuesday after Ukraine launched a major wave of drone strikes against Moscow just months after Budapest secured a sweetheart deal with Kyiv that allows it to keep buying supplies of fuel despite the invasion Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that "oil deliveries on the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary had to be temporarily suspended" following the drone attack "I have just spoken to Russia's deputy energy minister who said that a drone hit at a measuring station has made deliveries impossible for the time being oil deliveries to Hungary could resume in the late afternoon or early evening." Szijjártó called on Ukraine "not to attack the energy infrastructure directed to Hungary" as Kyiv works to weaken Russia's war machine Kyiv's armed forces said Tuesday that they had "struck a number of strategic objects of the Russian Federation involved in ensuring armed aggression against Ukraine." Budapest has used what was supposed to be a temporary exemption to an European Union ban on Russian oil to step up its purchases of crude via the overland pipeline network, making major profits from discounted crude In September, Ukraine signed off on an agreement that would allow Hungary to continue buying Russian oil despite having itself imposed sanctions on one of its major suppliers the fuel is considered to be Hungarian the moment it crosses the border into Ukrainian territory Hungary has repeatedly threatened to veto any efforts by the EU to further reduce its dependency on Russian energy. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán last week blocked what would have otherwise been unanimous approval for a statement by European leaders affirming support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Moscow In a message posted online on Tuesday, Ukraine's sanctions envoy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, accused Hungary of using the "Druzhba pipeline problem as an argument to block the continuation of sanctions" at an EU level, arguing Budapest is undermining "the unity of the EU." The EU will make its pitch Tuesday, searching for momentum as sanctions stall, the U.S. equivocates and some eye a Russian fuel return. “The European Union is concerned at the planned extension of the operation by Israeli forces in Gaza,” a Commission spokesperson says. Hungary’s EU commissioner is hindering the plan’s quick approval on Tuesday, despite obligations to act independently from Viktor Orbán’s Russia-friendly policies. EU firms want to buy more American energy — but not if it becomes pricier. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2024 at 4:16 AM ESTBookmarkSaveThe flow of Russian crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline into the Czech Republic has restarted “The supplies have been restored this morning and crude oil from the Druzhba pipeline is flowing into the Czech Republic normally,” Orlen Unipetrol a unit of the Polish parent and operator of the Litvinov and Unipetrol refineries by Boldizsar GyoriPERN SA crude oil tanks are pictured a few dozen kilometers from Lotos Oil Refiner on June 6 (Omar Marques/Getty Images)Supply to customers was not affected by a leak on one of the branching pipes of the Russian Druzhba pipeline in Poland the Polish operator Pern said in a statement on Dec The communist-era-built Druzhba pipeline was used to transport oil from Russia to Europe through its two main branches supplying central Europe through its southern pipeline and northern Europe through the northern pipeline Poland has not purchased Russian pipeline oil since early 2023 Druzhba's northern pipeline now mainly transfers oil arriving at its port of Gdansk A leak in one of Poland’s pipes on the northern branch caused its operator to halt deliveries and reroute the supply earmarked for Germany The leak did not affect the quantity of the supply as the second branch's "technical capabilities fully cover the volume needs of customers," the operator said in its statement The cause of the leak is unknown and will be investigated The EU has banned imports of Russian pipeline oil in response to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Hungary granted exemptions due to their dependence on Russian supplies Russian oil continues to transit to Czechia through Poland via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline Boldizsar is a former Reuters correspondent for Hungary reporting for the Kyiv Independent and various other outlets adviser to the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine He stated that Ukraine will not extend its agreement with Russia on oil transit This announcement came shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy declared that Kyiv would not renew its agreement with Russia’s Gazprom to transport Russian gas through Ukraine to Europe by shutting down the pipelines and excluding Russian energy carriers Moscow will lose its most profitable market ‘Europe has been a reliable and lucrative market; it is where the Russians have made the most profit everyone in Europe is working to ensure that Russia no longer plays a role on the continent,’ he explained The adviser also mentioned that if Russian gas is no longer transported through the pipelines—in this statement he was not referring to the Druzhba pipeline—Ukraine would still be willing to facilitate the transit of gas from other sources Europe has now diversified its oil and gas supplies and Russia is not as important as it was 5-10 years ago If a country wants gas from Kazakhstan or Azerbaijan This requires contracts that address logistics and clearly define Ukraine’s transit role,’ he stated Podolyak did not mention that non-Russian oil would continue to be transited leading to the interpretation that a complete shutdown of the pipeline is what he intended Hungary’s oil supply security could be significantly compromised only alternative pipeline for importing oil would be the Adriatic pipeline from Croatia MOL emphasized that if there were any changes they would be the first to inform the public They also noted that they maintain a good business relationship with the Ukrainian side and deliveries are continuing without interruption The shutdown of the Druzhba pipeline could significantly impact the ongoing oil transit dispute between the Hungarian government and Kyiv After Ukraine decided to halt Russian Lukoil’s oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia Budapest and Bratislava sought assistance from Brussels the European Commission declined to intervene arguing that only Lukoil’s supplies were blocked while other companies could still use the pipeline meaning Hungarian energy security was not at risk would change drastically with the complete closure of the Druzhba pipeline potentially putting Hungary’s energy security in jeopardy Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó recently addressed concerns about Hungary’s energy security noting that negotiations to secure the country’s long-term oil supply are nearing completion the Hungarian FM emphasized that the long-term gas purchase agreement with Gazprom along with the secure southern supply route via the Turkish Stream pipeline ensures that Hungary’s gas supply remains stable despite the challenging geopolitical environment approximately 5.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas were delivered to Hungary through Turkish Stream the figure has already reached 4.8 billion cubic meters Hungary’s preparation for the upcoming months is very strong by European standards,’ he said adding that Hungarian gas storage facilities are currently at 89 per cent of full capacity compared to the European average of 27 per cent In another interview published on Friday, Mykhailo Podolyak denied his own statements about the closure of the Druzhba oil pipeline Podolyak clarified that Ukraine is committed to fulfilling its obligations regarding the transit of Russian oil as long as the relevant contracts remain in effect and that this will be managed based on bilateral agreements with European countries The current contract between Russia and Ukraine is set to run until 2029 Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective by Tim ZadorozhnyyA Russian oil field run by Rosneft Oil Company near the village of Sokolovka (Photo: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images) Russian and Kazakh oil shipments to Hungary and Germany via the Druzhba pipeline have been halted since Dec 19 due to technical issues at a Russian pumping station one of the world’s largest with a capacity of 2 million barrels per day (bpd) is a critical conduit for oil from Russian fields to European refineries Transneft, the Russian state-owned pipeline operator, identified a problem at the Unecha pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast Belarus' Belneftekhim confirmed the disruption to oil supplies via Druzhba to the Belarusian state-owned news agency Belta stating that Belarusian refineries are relying on stored reserves to continue operations The halt affects its southern branch, which had been transporting 300,000 bpd to EU countries granted exemptions from the EU's ban on Russian pipeline oil Sources told Reuters that oil deliveries from Russia's western ports — Novorossiisk and Druzhba's oil could be rerouted to these ports While one source suggested the issue might be resolved within days another indicated that the suspension could last until the end of December the Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch remains active under exemptions for certain Central European countries Part of the Druzhba oil pipeline that links Russia and Germany was shut down after the discovery of a leak in western Poland, the Polish pipeline operator PERN said Sunday a crude pipeline leak was identified near the town of Pniewy on one of the two lines of the western section through which crude oil reaches refineries in Germany,” PERN said in a statement “Pumping on the damaged line was shut down immediately and oil deliveries are continuing on the second line whose technical capabilities fully cover the needs of customers,” PERN said Druzhba is one of the world’s largest pipelines with a maximum capacity of 2 million barrels per day PERN said the cause of the spill was being investigated by its internal committee but reassured the public that it was not in danger PERN said work to replace the damaged pipeline which was discovered in a culvert under a road will not affect Druzhba’s oil supplies The Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline network was started in the 1960s and covers 5,500 kilometers (3,417 miles) pumping oil from the Urals to Europe through two main branches via Belarus and Ukraine Germany stopped buying Russian oil and the European Union placed an embargo on Russian oil supplies after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 But Druzhba was temporarily exempted from EU sanctions for Central European members Hungary which still rely on Russian energy supplies Druzhba was previously partly shut after similar oil leak discoveries in August 2023 and October 2022 Sign-in to our platforms to access our extensive research data and analytics and to connect to our industry experts Complete the form to learn more about our solutions and discuss your business needs with a member of our team Czech refineries shift away from Russian oil dependency Jim has 29 years of commodity market experience in crude oil In dynamic and highly integrated markets like commodities any change in one component can have ripple effects on every other component within the same market A relevant example is the situation with the two refineries in the Czech Republic which are working to reduce their reliance on Russian crude oil has a processing capacity of 110,000 barrels per day making it a key player in meeting local fuel demands though smaller with a capacity of 68,000 barrels per day plays a complementary role in ensuring a stable supply to the market Both refineries regularly access and utilise both the Druzhba South pipeline with its import terminal located in Trieste Historical flow data shows that through June 2024 the Druzhba South pipeline transported approximately 170,000 barrels per day with some exceptions for refinery maintenance These volumes were sufficient to supply both refineries daily allowing only enough oil to support the 68,000 barrels per day required by the Kralupy refinery reports emerged that oil flow through the Druzhba South pipeline had been "interrupted." However Wood Mackenzie data revealed that while flows continued the European Union's exemption allowing Czech refineries to purchase Russian crude oil via the Druzhba South pipeline expired on 6 December 2024 This raises critical questions about the possibility of an extension Subscribers to Wood Mackenzie’s European Pipeline Service can monitor daily volumes and stay informed through our portal The alternative to current supply routes is the TransAlpine pipeline which feeds into the IKL pipeline (Ingolstadt-Kralupy-Litvinov) The TAL begins at the import terminal in Trieste and has a capacity of 900,000 barrels per day the IKL is a 714 mm (28-inch) pipeline designed to handle 221,000 barrels per day This means there is sufficient capacity to meet the demand of 178,000 barrels per day from the two Czech refineries these refineries are not the only ones relying on oil from the TAL With deliveries from Druzhba South no longer acceptable the 900,000 barrels per day capacity from the TAL will now need to support eight refineries that collectively have a total capacity of 1,070,000 barrels per day with a combined capacity of 45.43 million barrels The current volumes and utilisation rates for each facility are available on our portal Although a substantial buffer exists to absorb volume shocks how can one effectively monitor the Druzhba South pipeline Wood Mackenzie Refinery Intelligence can help you make smarter trading and investment decisions. 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Fertilizers Producers Association Andrey Guryev on bilateral meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin PhosAgro/UNESCO/IUPAC green chemistry research grants awarded for the 8th time to world's best young scientists Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Download the pdf version Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline have had to be suspended temporarily on March 11 due to a Ukrainian drone strike on one of the pipeline’s measuring stations Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he had spoken to Russia’s deputy prime minister in charge of energy affairs who had told him that oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline have had to be temporarily halted due to a Ukrainian strike and deliveries could resume late in the afternoon or early evening "If the Druzhba oil pipeline is rendered inoperable then it practically becomes physically impossible to supply oil to Hungary and Slovakia," Szijjarto warned adding that attacks on Hungary’s energy infrastructure were "unacceptable" "We have made this position clear in Brussels on multiple occasions and the European Commission guaranteed that there would be no attacks on the infrastructure supplying energy to Hungary," he said Russia's First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin later informed the Hungarian government that the Russian operator had repaired the damage and transits had been restarted on the Druzhba pipeline The EU has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian oil since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline continues to operate under exemptions granted to certain Central European nations Ukraine approved an agreement enabling Hungary to continue purchasing Russian oil despite Kyiv imposing sanctions on one of its key suppliers the fuel is deemed Hungarian as soon as it enters Ukrainian territory Budapest has consistently opposed EU efforts to further curtail reliance on Russian energy Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked what would have otherwise been unanimous backing from European leaders for a statement reaffirming support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Moscow Hungary's largest oil exporter MOL has benefited greatly from buying discounted Russian oil MOL’s refining margins have been bolstered by the price gap between Russian Urals crude and alternative benchmark grades such as Brent This cost advantage has helped the company maintain strong profitability particularly as it supplies fuel to Hungary and neighbouring markets Check the box to receive the e-magazine to your inbox every month for free Get notified when there's a new bne IntelliNews Podcasts added (Reuters) — Russian crude oil flows to the Czech Republic through the Druzhba pipeline remained halted on Thursday which he said was first confirmed on Tuesday Refining at the Litvinov refinery was running using the company's reserves which could last a week before it taps state reserves The Czech government approved on Wednesday lending Unipetrol 330,000 metric tons of oil from state reserves Unipetrol and state officials have said the Druzhba halt was not affecting supplies of products to the Czech market the country coped with a two-month interruption of flows through Druzhba without an impact on fuel supplies Czech pipeline operator Mero said on Thursday it was still investigating the Druzhba delivery delays The country imports Russian crude through Druzhba and other crudes through the TAL pipeline running from Italy to Germany and on to the Czech Republic It wants to stop all Russian oil imports from July next year as it completes capacity expansion of the TAL pipeline The unexplained interruption occurred as European countries debate a possible extension of an EU exemption from sanctions on Russia that allows the Czech Republic to import diesel and other products made from Russian oil but diplomats said talks would continue on Friday The Czech Republic has said it was not asking for the exemption to continue but Slovakia has been keen to keep it in place Sources have said that if other countries are keen to extend the Czechs may agree to a six-month extension on the Slovak diesel imports matching the expected end of Russian crude supplies to the Czech Republic The Czech state is prepared to lend up to 330,000 tonnes of oil to Orlen's Litvinov refinery from its reserves in response to Russia's halt to crude flows via the Druzhba pipeline “The drawing of this loan will occur if the [oil flow from the] Druzhba pipeline is not restarted in the coming days,” said Pavel Švagr the head of the state material reserves company SSHR “This means that the Czech market will continue to be supplied and there is no reason for a speculative increase in fuel prices,” Švagr was quoted as saying by the Czech Press Agency (ČTK) Oil imports from the Druzhba pipeline represent some 58% of all oil imports to the country which has reserves of oil and oil products for 86 days following the cabinet session on December 4 the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček (Mayors and Independents – STAN) told the media that the opening up of state reserves is a preventive measure in case the Orlen-operated Litvínov refinery Czech cabinet members reiterated the halt does not pose a problem for the country “Russians are playing again,” Václav Bartuška Czech government envoy for energy security stated adding that oil continues to flow to Hungary and Slovakia.  “Czechia needs to tell Russia now that we don’t see a single reason to be worried – we have reserves pipelines from the West and we don’t see a single reason to talk to them” (Russia) Because of their dependency on Russian oil supplies Slovakia and Hungary all have an exemption to import Russian crude oil with the exemption having no expiry date but being subject to periodic review by the European Commission The sitting centre-right Czech government expects the country to be freed from dependency on Russian oil imports by the middle of next year following the completion of the TAL-PLUS projects – a CZK1.6bn (€67.5mn) expansion of the TAL pipeline which runs from the Italian port city of Trieste north to Austria and Germany where Czechia is connected to it with its IKL pipeline TAL-PLUS will increase the pipeline’s transporting capacity for Czechia to 4 million tonnes of oil annually which will enable the country to stop importing oil from the Druzhba pipeline Poland’s Orlen operates two refineries in Czechia in Litvínov, near the German border in the north, and Kralupy nad Vltavou near Prague. In August, Orlen’s head Ireneusz Fafara told the Polish press agency PAP that Orlen is ready to end Russian oil imports completely pending the completion of enhancing oil pipeline connections from Germany to Czechia This is the second time this year Orlen could be lent oil from Czech state reserves for the Litvínov refinery after an unexploded British World War II bomb was discovered on the site in August forcing the plant into temporary shuttering by Martin FornusekIllustrative purposes only: Rail wagons for oil and liquefied gas cargo stand in sidings at Yanichkino railway station close to the Gazprom Neft PJSC Moscow refinery in Moscow (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Ukrainian forces successfully attacked the Moscow Oil Refinery and a Druzhba oil pipeline facility in Oryol Oblast overnight on March 11 the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported The statement comes after Russia claimed to have downed over 330 Ukrainian drones in the Moscow and eight other oblasts in a massive drone strike The attack was carried out by Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces in cooperation with the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) The operation "struck a number of Russian strategic objects enabling armed aggression against Ukraine," the military said Ukraine has repeatedly targeted industrial and military facilities in Russia's rear to undermine Moscow's ability to wage its war Multiple hits were recorded at the Moscow Oil Refinery which is capable of processing 11 million metric tons of oil per year and covers 40-50% of Moscow's gasoline and diesel supplies Explosions were also reported at the Stalnoy Kon fuel facility in Oryol Oblast This facility is a key part of the Druzhba oil pipeline infrastructure and ensures oil supplies to the Ust-Luga port in Leningrad Oblast The facility lies around 170 kilometers (100 miles) from the Russia-Ukraine border Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its forces had intercepted a massive strike of 337 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions This would mark Ukraine's most extensive drone strike against Moscow and Russia throughout the full-scale war Russian officials did not report hits against any strategic targets but claimed that civilian sites were damaged across Moscow Oblast Three people were allegedly killed by drone debris The Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims The Ukrainian military said it has "detailed information about the strategic facilities" enabling Russian aggression and "adheres to the norms of international humanitarian law and takes measures to protect the civilian population as much as possible." Martin Fornusek is a news editor at the Kyiv Independent He has previously worked as a news content editor at the media company Newsmatics and is a contributor to Euromaidan Press He was also volunteering as an editor and translator at the Czech-language version of Ukraïner Martin studied at Masaryk University in Brno holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies “We need to send a clear response to Russia: we are not worried.” Druzhba is one of the largest crude oil pipeline networks in the world Energy SecurityCzech Republic readies emergency oil reserves after Russia supplies interruptedDeliveries via the southern leg of Druzhba oil pipeline from Russia were halted early on Wednesday is facing its biggest test yet under the weight of Western sanctions as the import exemptions for the pipeline's few remaining EU customers could expire soon With capacity to carry almost 2 million barrels per day and a total length of nearly 8,900 kilometers the Druzhba system is one of the world's largest and longest crude conduits But it has been running below capacity for years and even more so since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 — it is currently shipping just under 280,000 b/d combined But even those volumes could drop out in 2025 as the EU piles more pressure on its members to cease Russian imports The pipeline's fate is high on the agenda for officials as they plot out delivery schedules for next year Druzhba used to be Russia’s main pipeline export route supplying Germany and Poland via its northern leg and Slovakia Hungary and the Czech Republic via its southern leg Druzhba deliveries stood at some 800,000 b/d Germany and Poland have ceased all Druzhba imports of Russian crude Slovakia and Czech Republic were granted EU permission in 2022 to continue receiving volumes given their unique dependency on the route but were urged to find alternatives "as soon as possible." The Czech Republic which received around 83,000 b/d of Russian crude via Druzhba in 2023 confirmed recently that it would halt these imports in the first half of 2025 once an expansion is completed on the 900,000 b/d Transalpine pipeline system That will allow the Czech Republic to start switching the 108,000 b/d Litvinov refinery Russian crude oil supplies to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline were temporarily interrupted Tuesday after a Ukrainian drone attack damaged a metering station along the pipeline. Energy SecurityRussian oil flows to Hungary interrupted as Ukraine steps up energy infrastructure attacksAuthorities in Kyiv have increasingly targeted Russian transportation infrastructure used to ship Russian oil and gas to Hungary and Slovakia Emergency workers secured the area around the pipeline near Pniewy after learning of a possible leak at around 7:30 a.m Russian oil exports via the southern leg of the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary Slovakia and the Czech Republic jumped in September after Hungary's Mol agreed a deal allowing it to continue importing Russian crude via Ukraine This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page (Reuters) — Oil flows via the Russian pipeline Druzhba to the Czech Republic stopped again, but there is no threat of shortages, Czech pipeline operator Mero said on Tuesday Mero issued their statement after news agency cited Czech Industry Minister Lukas Vlcek saying that flows had stopped "Refineries in the Czech Republic are well prepared for this situation and at the same time we have a robust system of state material reserves so I must reassure everyone that there is enough oil for the needs of households and companies," Lukas Vlcek told CTK He added that in the event of a long-term stoppage of supplies from Druzhba, the Czech Republic could switch to the Italian TAL+ pipeline Mero said that thanks to state material reserves it was possible to replace a short-term outage of oil and oil products for up to 90 days Czech refiner Unipetrol said that fuel production at both its refineries in Litvinov and Kralupy and Vltavou was at full capacity "However, in order to ensure the supply of the Litvinov refinery and its production of fuel for the Czech market until the refinery is supplied with alternative crude-oil blends via the TAL/IKL pipeline we have requested a crude-oil loan from the State Material Reserves Administration," Unipetrol said in an emailed statement did not immediately respond to a request for comment and neither did Hungarian refiner MOL or Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol Slovakia and Hungary were affected by a stoppage of the Druzhba pipeline in December The Czech Republic has worked to wean itself off Russian oil and gas since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 but its dependence on Russian fuel meant it was exempt from European Union sanctions on Russian pipeline oil استشهد 11 فلسطينيا، وأصيب عدد آخر جراء عدة غارات جوية، وقصف مدفعي لقوات الاحتلال الصهيوني، أمس الاثنين، على عدة مناطق في قطاع غزة وأفادت مصادر محلية، باستشهاد ثلاثة مواطنين، وإصابة أربعة آخرين، جراء قصف طائرات الاحتلال مجموعة من المواطنين قرب دوار الكرامة شمال غربي مدينة غزة، فيما استشهد مواطن آخر متأثرا بإصابته في قصف سابق استهدف شارع النزاز بحي الشجاعية شرقي المدينة وفي شمال القطاع، أشارت المصادر إلى استشهاد مواطن وإصابة آخرين جراء قصف صهيوني… ثمّن الرئيس الجزائري عبد المجيد تبون والسلطان هيثم بن طارق، سلطان عُمان إنشاء “الصندوق الجزائري… اندلعت حرائق في مطار بورتسودان ومحيط الميناء الجنوبي بمدينة بورتسودان شرقي السودان إثر سماع دوي انفجارات قوية، وفق مراسل الأناضول تشارك الجزائر في أشغال مؤتمر ومعرض CIM Connect 2025، الذي تحتضنه مدينة مونتريال الكندية، خلال الفترة الممتدة من 4 إلى 7… ترأّس الرئيس الجزائري، عبد المجيد تبون، اليوم الاثنين، رفقة سلطان عُمان، هيثم بن طارق، مراسم التوقيع على مذكّرات تفاهم بين… أعلنت الجزائر، اليوم السبت، عن رفع حصتها من إنتاج النفط الخام بمقدار 9000 برميل يوميًا خلال شهر جوان المقبل، وذلك في إطار اتفاق الدول الثمانية لتحالف “أوبك+” على تنفيذ زيادة جماعية تدريجية في الإنتاج تقدّر… استقبل وزير الريـاضة السعودي، الأمير عبد العزيز بن تركي الفيصل، اليـوم الاثنين، النجم الجزائري ريـاض محرز وتشكيلة الأهلي السعودي بعد التتويج التاريخي… by Martin FornusekThe Druzhba crude oil pipeline is seen near Stryi (John Guillemin/Bloomberg via Getty Images)Ex-President Petro Poroshenko and members of his European Solidarity opposition party submitted a bill on Jan 7 banning the transit of Russian oil and gas through Ukraine's territory during martial law fulfilling a contract valid until the end of 2029 "Every day, the Druzhba oil pipeline transports 300,000 barrels of Russian oil... Every day when the halt to Russian oil transit is delayed, tens of millions of dollars flow to Russia," Poroshenko said at a press briefing Russia plans to receive $7.5 billion only from the sale of oil through Ukrainian transit." The text of the bill signed by Poroshenko and 17 other European Solidarity MPs The legislation must be considered by relevant committees and signed by the president before becoming law Revenues from fossil fuel exports represent a significant part of Russia's federal budget and play a key role in fueling its war machine in Ukraine The EU banned the import of Russian seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products in June 2022 as part of sanctions imposed in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine Certain member states were given exemptions due to their dependency on Russian supplies allowing them to continue buying Russian pipeline oil Russian crude continues to flow to Hungary and Slovakia through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline Halting the oil transit might fuel further discord between Ukraine and Hungary with Slovakia. The two EU countries, led by Moscow-friendly populists, have already lashed out against Kyiv over its decision not to prolong gas transit, claiming it undermines their energy security holding a bachelor's degree in security studies and history and a master's degree in conflict and democracy studies.