The “only Russian pipeline to the EU” in flames – Germany, Austria and Hungary in crisis | Science
A huge fire broke out near the Druzhba oil depot in the Russian city of Bryansk near the Czech border in the early hours of Monday. Local state media in Bryansk reported a second explosion from a fuel tank at a “military unit”. Some reports say it is an attack by Ukrainian forces on the Druzhba pipeline, which sends oil from Russia to Europe via Ukraine and Belarus.
NATO expert Thomas C. Theiner tweeted: “If this fire breaks out in the Druzhba pipeline pumping station, the only Russian pipeline to Europe will be destroyed.
“This means that Germany, Austria and Hungary will no longer get Russian oil.
“And it also shuts down Russia’s major oil terminal at Ust-Luga.”
The Druzhba pipeline spanning 5500 kilometers, send Crude oil from Siberia, the Urals and the Caspian Sea to a number of EU countries via Mozyr in Belarus, where it splits into northern and southern branches.
The northern branch continues via Belarus and Poland to Germany.
The southern branch runs through Ukraine and later transports oil via various routes to Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Although the pipeline is responsible for transporting up to 1.2 to 1.4 million barrels a day to Europe, it’s important to note that this is not the route Russian oil takes to get to Europe.
Instead, most imports to Europe are via tankers and ports.
About 70-85% of Russian crude oil imports pass through western ports on the Baltic and Black Seas.
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Russian oil also arrives in smaller quantities from arctic terminals.
But the rest of the oil comes through the Druzhba pipeline, which accounted for 4-8% of total EU crude oil imports in 2019.
It also comes as the EU plans to sanction oil in a new package that could be announced today.
But Germany and Hungary were the main voices within the EU against sanctions on Russian oil, following Austria.
A group of 50 MPs sent Chancellor Olaf Scholz an angry letter urging Germany to back down and allow an immediate ban on oil imports from Russia.
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It comes as Germany, Austria and Hungary are all exempt from an oil ban proposed earlier this month.
While Berlin has signaled its intention to ban oil but is not yet ready, Hungary has been more vocal in its opposition to a ban.
Hungarian President Viktor Orban said oil and gas bans are a “red line” because they would “fight Hungary”.
Austria’s Finance Minister Magnus Brunner said his country was “against sanctions in the oil and gas sector”.
And Putin still made billions from EU oil imports, last year he got 48.5 billion euros (38 billion pounds) in crude oil and 22.5 billion euros (19 billion pounds) in non-crude oil.
But none of the countries opposed to oil sanctions are as important as the Netherlands, Italy, France and Finland.
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