Russia says it will halt the flow of Kazakh oil to Germany through the Druzhba pipeline from May 1, a move that adds another twist to the long break in Europe’s energy relationship with Moscow. Germany says the stoppage should not trigger a major supply squeeze, but it will affect a refinery that remains important for fuel deliveries to Berlin and the surrounding region.
The announcement emerged on April 22, 2026, after Germany’s economy ministry said it had learned Russia planned to redirect volumes of Kazakh crude now moving through Druzhba to the PCK Schwedt refinery near the Polish border. The refinery is run by the German subsidiary of Rosneft, Russia’s state oil company, and supplies much of the Berlin area as well as the capital’s international airport.
Germany’s government moved quickly to calm concerns. Government spokesman Stefan Kornelius said the stoppage “will not significantly restrict refinery operations,” while officials also said they were watching kerosene availability closely. The economy ministry said the shortfall would not ultimately jeopardise security of supply for mineral oil products in Germany, even though PCK Schwedt may have to run at a lower rate.
Russia later confirmed the change. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the Kazakh volumes that had been sent through Druzhba would be sent by other available logistics routes from May 1, attributing the change to “current technical capacities.” He did not offer a restart date. In comments to reporters, he also dismissed the consequences for Germany, saying the Germans had rejected Russian oil and therefore were fine.
The refinery has some alternatives. A ministry spokeswoman said PCK Schwedt also has a pipeline connection to the Baltic Sea port of Rostock, which could allow seaborne crude deliveries. That backup matters because Schwedt has already been one of the most sensitive assets in Germany’s energy reset after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The dispute also reflects a broader effort in Berlin to reduce its dependence on Russian energy while still keeping a key refinery running. Germany took Rosneft Germany into trusteeship after the invasion and European Union sanctions on the Russian energy sector. It has also sought a new buyer for the subsidiary. Last year, Berlin won a US sanctions exemption for the refinery, arguing Rosneft Germany had been fully decoupled from its parent company.
Kazakh crude was used to replace Russian oil at Schwedt after the war cut off major Russian deliveries to Europe’s biggest economy. The latest stoppage does not appear to end that arrangement immediately, but it shows how exposed the supply chain remains to technical and political decisions in Moscow.
