Berlin announced on Wednesday that Russia will suspend the supply of Kazakh oil to a major refinery supplying eastern Germany starting May 1. The suspension comes amid the global energy crisis caused by the war in the Middle East.
The German government, however, has assured the population that the country’s energy security will not be threatened, mentioning a possible alternative route via the Baltic Sea. Moscow, for its part, has justified its decision citing “technical” reasons, without providing further details.
The German subsidiary of Russian state oil company Rosneft, Rosneft Deutschland, announced that, “following instructions from the Russian Ministry of Energy, the transit of Kazakh crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, in the territory of the Russian Federation, to the PCK (German) refinery will not be permitted from May 1, 2026,” according to the German Ministry of Energy.
Until the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the refinery, located in Schwedt, in former East Germany, was supplied exclusively with Russian oil thanks to a German subsidiary of Rosneft. Due to the embargo on Russian crude imposed in retaliation for the war, the refinery, crucial for fuel supply to East Germany, had to seek alternative suppliers, mainly Kazakhstan, via the same branch of the Druzhba pipeline, but the oil transits through Russian territory.
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Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, responsible for Energy, confirmed the suspension of supplies and explained that “the volumes of Kazakh oil previously transported to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline will be redirected to other available logistical routes.” Citing “technical” reasons, without providing further details, the official also did not specify the duration of the suspension.
At a press conference with media in the Kremlin, Novak somewhat cynically downplayed the possible consequences of this decision for the German economy. “The Germans have cut off Russian oil, which means everything is going well for them,” he stated. The cut in supplies by Moscow to Germany, Ukraine’s main financier in the war against Russia, exacerbates the uncertainty facing the German economy, already affected by the war in Iran.
On Wednesday, the government halved its growth forecast for 2026 to 0.5%, as the energy crisis hindered the recovery of the German economy, which has been stalled since the war in Ukraine, which had already caused a sharp increase in energy prices, affecting the country’s industry. The government assured that the interruption of Kazakh oil shipments “does not jeopardize Germany’s supply security,” without providing figures.
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