The Russian oil pipeline giant Transneft confirmed in a statement on Tuesday that Ukrtransnafta, a company which provides oil transportation services via Ukraine, has suspended the delivery of oil via the southern stream of the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Igor Demin, an aide to the president of Transneft, told Sputnik that “Indeed, Ukrtransnafta completely stopped” oil deliveries to the three aforementioned countries on August 4 at 6.10 am, Sputnik reported.
At the same time, he added that transit through Belarus towards Poland and Germany continues. Demin also said that Ukraine provides services on the condition of full prepayment.
"But when making a payment for transit through the territory of Ukraine, the funds were returned to the account of PJSC [public joint-stock company] Transneft. Gazprombank, which services payments, notified us that the payment was returned due to the EU regulations, that is, the seventh package of sanctions [against Russia]”, according to Transneft’s representative.
The sanctions were approved by the EU in response to Russia’s ongoing special operation in Ukraine, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24.
The Druzhba pipeline, which was constructed in 1964, begins in Almetyevsk, Russia and runs to Mozyr, Belarus where it splits into northern and southern branches.
The northern leg carries Russian oil to Poland and Germany via Belarus, while the southern one runs to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Croatia via Ukraine. The total length of the Druzhba pipeline system is 5,530 miles (8,899 kilometers).
ZZ/PR
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