Common Questions

Why did Germany lose Kazakh oil supply in May 2026?: Russia's Deputy PM Alexander Novak confirmed on 1 May 2026 that Russia was halting Kazakh crude transit via the northern Druzhba pipeline branch to Germany. The halt followed Ukrainian strikes on two Druzhba pumping stations and removed supply to the PCK Schwedt refinery that services Berlin.Source: Lowdown
What refinery supplies Berlin with oil?: The PCK Schwedt refinery in northeastern Germany is the primary refinery serving Berlin and the surrounding region. It was historically supplied by the Druzhba pipeline and has been diversifying to Rostock and Hamburg port supply since Germany reduced Russian crude imports after 2022.
Does Germany still import Russian oil in 2026?: Germany significantly reduced Russian oil imports after 2022. A residual stream of Kazakh (non-Russian-origin) crude continued via the northern Druzhba branch until Russia halted it from 1 May 2026. Germany has sought to replace it via Rostock and Hamburg port routes.Source: Lowdown

Background

Berlin is the capital of Germany and the political centre of the European Union's largest economy. In the context of the Russia-Ukraine war, Germany's energy posture has been consistently relevant: Berlin was among the most dependent European capitals on Russian gas and oil before 2022, and its energy transition away from Russian sources has been incomplete, particularly regarding crude oil.

The Kazakh crude halt of 1 May 2026 directly affected Berlin's supply picture. Russia's Deputy PM Alexander Novak confirmed Russia would stop Kazakh oil transit via the northern Druzhba pipeline branch — the route carrying Kazakh crude to Germany via the PCK Schwedt refinery, which services Berlin and northeastern Germany . The halt was the downstream consequence of Ukraine's SBU strikes on Druzhba pumping stations, which had already driven Russian refinery throughput to a 16-year low .

The halt removed one of Berlin's remaining partial fallbacks after Germany stopped receiving Russian gas following the 2022 Nord Stream sabotage and subsequent sanctions. Germany had worked to diversify supply through Rostock and Hamburg port routes for PCK Schwedt, but the Druzhba northern branch remained a lower-cost transit option as long as the pipeline was operable. Its disruption compresses Berlin's energy margin further, and Germany's support for Ukraine — including a €4 billion Patriot interceptor agreement signed in April 2026 — was already adding to its defence expenditure commitments.

How the World Sees Them

Russia

Moscow presented the transit halt as a technical consequence of pipeline damage; it also served as continued economic pressure on Germany's energy supply.

Germany

Berlin has pursued energy diversification since 2022 but PCK Schwedt's continued partial reliance on Druzhba-routed crude made Germany vulnerable to this halt.

Kazakhstan

Astana lost export revenue from the halt and faced political pressure to find alternative export routes to European buyers, bypassing Russian infrastructure.

European Union

Brussels had been monitoring Druzhba-transit Kazakh crude as a residual loophole in Russian energy sanctions; the halt removed the practical question.