Moscow Confirms Russia Will Halt Kazakh Oil Flows to Germany via Druzhba

Moscow said flows will be redirected from May, citing technical constraints after recent disruptions. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied This picture taken on August 13, 2021, shows the logo of Russia's oil producer Rosneft on its headquarters in Moscow. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Russia will stop transporting Kazakh oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline starting May 1, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said. Speaking to journalists, Novak said that volumes previously transiting through Russia to Germany would be redirected to other routes, citing “technical capabilities” as the reason, Russian state media TASS reported on Wednesday, April 22. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . The Druzhba pipeline has been a key route for delivering Kazakh crude to German refineries via Russia and Belarus under a bilateral agreement. Kazakhstan had earlier received an informal notice that shipments via Druzhba would not be possible in May, its energy minister said, adding that the disruption was likely linked to recent strikes on Russian infrastructure. Kazakh oil is transported across Russia via pipelines operated by Russia’s oil pipeline conglomerate, Transneft, then through Belarus to Germany. In 2025, Kazakhstan supplied around 2.1 million tonnes of oil to Germany via Druzhba, with plans to increase volumes to 2.5 million tonnes in 2026. Ukrainian intelligence has previously warned that Moscow could manufacture an energy crisis in Europe amid the shortage caused by the Iran war to blackmail Europe into sanctions relief. On Wednesday, Ukraine restarted oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, a development that could help unlock a long-stalled €90-billion ($106 billion) EU loan for Kyiv after weeks of political deadlock driven by Budapest’s veto. Other Topics of Interest Russia Moves Toward State-Controlled Fuel Output After Refinery Strikes Moscow is tightening centralized governmental control over domestic fuel supplies as refinery disruptions and rising prices strain the market. Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková said on Facebook that Ukraine had resumed pumping through the pipeline, with deliveries to Slovakia expected to restart as early as Thursday. The restart comes as EU countries prepared Wednesday to push forward with the massive financial package for Ukraine, which has been blocked for months by Hungary. On Wednesday, ambassadors of EU member states gave a preliminary green light to unblocking the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, alongside a 20th round of sanctions against Russia. Zelensky has repeatedly criticized EU states that continue to import Russian oil and gas, arguing the revenues directly fund Moscow’s war effort, now in its fifth year. Yuliia Zavadska is a news writer at Kyiv Post. She has experience in breaking news coverage, fact-checking, and digital journalism, with a focus on fast, accurate reporting and clear storytelling. Before joining Kyiv Post, she worked as a news feed editor for several leading Ukrainian media outlets.