Czech Republic Resumes Russian Oil Imports

Oil deliveries from Russia through the Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic have resumed after a two-day interruption, although the reason for the halt remains unclear. Czech refiner Orlen Unipetrol reported that its operations were not impacted during the disruption, and the Czech government had prepared to lend oil from reserves if necessary. The Czech Republic, alongside Slovakia and Hungary, continues to import Russian oil, despite EU sanctions on Moscow following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. To mitigate reliance on Russian oil, the Czech Republic has invested approximately 1.6 billion Czech koruna to double the capacity of the TAL pipeline, which is expected to be operational by early 2025. The Czech government aims to end its dependency on Russian oil imports by mid-2024. This situation highlights ongoing energy security concerns within the EU as member states seek to diversify their energy sources.