Czech Republic Ends Russian Oil Imports

The Czech Republic has successfully completed the modernization of the TAL oil pipeline, effectively ending its reliance on Russian oil imports. Prime Minister Petr Fiala announced that the country can now meet its oil demands from Western suppliers, following a significant investment of over $61 million to double the TAL's capacity to 8 million metric tons per year. Previously, the Czech Republic sourced about half of its oil through the Druzhba pipeline from Russia, but this dependency has been eliminated. Fiala emphasized that this milestone means the Czech Republic is no longer vulnerable to energy blackmail by Russia, particularly following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In line with this shift, the Orlen Unipetrol refinery plans to stop importing Russian oil in the second half of the year. The upgrades to the TAL pipeline reflect a broader trend among EU nations to diversify energy sources away from Russian supplies.