According to Reuters article published on November 16, 2022, Russian oil continued flowing into the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline on Wednesday despite a suspension of supplies from Ukraine to the Slovak section, as stocks from Slovakia were pumped in, Czech pipeline operator MERO said.
Oil supply to parts of Eastern and Central Europe via a section of the Druzhba pipeline were temporarily suspended on Tuesday for technical reasons, according to oil pipeline operators in Hungary and Slovakia.
Hungary’s MOL said its Ukrainian partner told the company that a Russian rocket hit a power station providing electricity for a pump station, leading to the stoppage.
“We are intensively monitoring the development of a solution to the situation,” MERO chairman Jaroslav Pantucek said.
Separately, the head of the Czech state strategic reserves agency SSHR, Pavel Svagr, said on Twitter that repairs to restart normal deliveries were expected to be made on Wednesday or Thursday.
He said the pipeline’s infrastructure was not damaged.
The Czech Republic covers roughly half of its oil consumption from Russia. It also sources supplies via the TAL pipeline, which brings oil from Italy to Germany, from which another pipeline links it to the Czech Republic.
