Slovakia and Hungary have announced that they stopped receiving oil from key supplier Lukoil after Ukraine imposed a ban on the transit of resources from the Russian energy company through its territory. Both Slovakia and Hungary said they were still receiving oil from other Russian companies despite the suspension of supplies from Lukoil, reports Reuters.
Slovakia's Economy Ministry said on Thursday that oil supplies from Lukoil, Russia's second-largest oil producer, have been suspended due to the company's inclusion on a Ukrainian sanctions list. However, according to data from the Slovak oil transporter "Transpetrol", the supply of Russian oil to Slovakia has not been interrupted, and the problem concerns only the specific supplier "Lukoil". The Slovak refinery "Slovnaft" has secured supplies from another supplier and the ministry is discussing the matter with Ukrainian partners.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó said on Tuesday that gas supplies from Russia to Hungary continue unhindered through the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, but crude oil from Lukoil. it is no longer transported through Ukraine. Sijarto added that due to the new legal situation in Ukraine, "Lukoil" is no longer supplying oil to Hungary and that a solution is being worked on to allow the resumption of transit, as Russian oil is very important to Hungary's energy security.
Industry sources reported that about 1.1 million metric tons of oil per month, or about 250,000 barrels per day, were transported through the southern branch of the "Druzhba" pipeline, of which about 900,000 tons were almost evenly distributed between Slovakia and Hungary. The Hungarian energy company MOL, which owns refineries in Hungary and Slovakia fed by the southern branch of "Druzhba", is also looking for a solution to continue supplies.
Sciarto added that he is working on a legal solution that would allow "Lukoil" to transport crude oil to Hungary via Ukraine and Belarus.