Russia halts transit of Kazakh oil to Germany via Druzhba pipeline

Russia will halt the transit of Kazakh oil through the Druzhba main pipeline to Germany starting May 1.

"This is related to the technical capabilities at the present time," Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told reporters earlier, as reported by INTERFAX.RU.

According to him, Kazakh oil, which was transported through the Druzhba pipeline to Germany, will be redirected to other available logistical routes starting May 1.

Advisor to the Minister and official representative of the Ministry of Energy of Kazakhstan, Asel Serikpaeva, clarified that due to the suspension of transportation through the Druzhba system in May, the republic will redistribute 260,000 tons of oil to alternative routes—towards the port of Ust-Luga (Baltic Sea) and into the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) system.

"We emphasize that the change in transportation routes does not affect the implementation of the annual oil production plan. The existing transport infrastructure allows Kazakhstan to fully ensure the stability of exports and uninterrupted supplies of raw materials to global markets," she noted.

Since 2023, Kazakhstan has been supplying oil to Germany through the main pipeline system of PJSC Transneft in the direction of the oil delivery point 'Adamova Zastava.' In the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan doubled its exports to the country, reaching 730,000 tons. In 2025, the volume of Kazakh oil supplies to Germany (to the refinery in Schwedt) amounted to 2.1 million tons. This year, it was planned to ship about 3 million tons of oil through the Druzhba pipeline.