Czech Republic finally abandons Russian oil

The Czech Republic has officially stopped importing oil from Russia, ending a long-standing dependence that lasted for over six decades. For the first time since the 1960s, the country has become completely independent of oil supplied by the Druzhba oil pipeline. This was announced on April 17 by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, quoted by the ČTK news agency.

This strategic breakthrough became possible after the completion of the modernization of the Transalpine Oil Pipeline (TAL), which connects the Italian port city of Trieste with Central Europe. Thanks to the updated infrastructure, the Czech Republic is now able to import up to 8 million tons of crude oil per year through Western pipelines. This volume is quite enough to meet the needs of all the country's oil refineries.

The first large consignments of non-Russian oil have already arrived at the Central Oil Terminal in Nelahozeves after being transported from Trieste. From there, the raw material will be delivered to the oil refinery in Litvinov, owned by Orlen Unipetrol. It is expected that the company will start processing the new oil next week, some of which comes from Norway.

Prime Minister Fiala said that the rejection of Russian supplies is not only a technical achievement, but also a key step towards strengthening national security. According to him, previously significant dependence on Russian resources created risks for the country's energy stability, especially in conditions of geopolitical tension.

Until the full transition to alternative sources of supply through the Druzhba oil pipeline, the Czech Republic received about 42% of its oil needs from Russia. Thus, the decision has profound strategic consequences for both the economy and the security of the state.

The new stage in Czech energy policy also has important symbolic significance. It demonstrates the determination of Central European countries to reduce their dependence on Russian energy by focusing on diversifying supply sources and modernizing critical infrastructure.