Oil supplies from Russia to the Czech Republic suspended: causes and consequences
The Czech Republic is temporarily without oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline, which covers 58% of the country's needs. Negotiations are underway to prevent a fuel crisis.
Photo: wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA 3.0
Oil supplies to the Czech Republic through the Druzhba pipeline, which accounts for 58% of the country's oil consumption, have been halted. This was announced by the Czech Minister of Industry and Trade, Lukáš Vlček.
The suspension was caused by administrative delays from the supplier, unrelated to political pressure or any intention by Russia to stop exports.
According to Pavel Kaidl, a representative of Unipetrol, which operates the Czech Republic's two main oil refineries, the delay occurred due to circumstances beyond the country's control.
The company has already appealed to the State Reserve to prepare an emergency oil supply to prevent disruptions in fuel production.
Currently, production and fuel supplies in the country remain stable, with oil reserves sufficient for one week.
The State Reserve assures that strategic reserves cover the country's needs for 86 days and that this figure will be increased to 90 days by the end of the year.
The ministry is actively working with partners to resolve the situation as quickly as possible and prevent potential fuel shortages on the market.
Despite the current challenges, experts assure that the threat of a fuel crisis in the Czech Republic is minimal.
It is worth recalling that, on December 1, near the Polish city of Pniewy, damage was discovered on the western branch of the Druzhba pipeline connecting Poland and Germany.
Specialists from PERN promptly located the leak site under National Highway No. 92, suspending pumping through the damaged line.
A backup channel is being used to prevent interruptions. Emergency crews and firefighters are working at the site. The area is cordoned off, and repair work has begun.
The causes of the incident are being investigated by PERN's internal commission. There is no threat to the population, and road traffic remains unaffected.
Previously, it was reported that German authorities suspect the damage to underwater cables in the Baltic Sea could have been part of a targeted hybrid attack, according to statements from the country's defense and foreign ministers.
It was also reported that police in London conducted a controlled explosion near the US Embassy due to the discovery of a suspicious object, with the area cordoned off.