Czech Republic bids farewell to Russian oil after six decades

A new chapter in energy independence.
Text: Óscar Ontañón Docal
Published 2025-04-17

The latest news on the Czech Republic. In a historic move, the Czech Republic has officially ceased importing Russian oil, marking the end of over 60 years of reliance on the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline.

With the transition now complete, the country has fully embraced the Western TAL oil pipeline, receiving its first delivery of non-Russian oil from Trieste, Italy. This shift comes after years of planning and a fast-tracked initiative to reduce dependence on Moscow.

The expanded TAL pipeline now ensures the Czech Republic's refineries are supplied with up to eight million tons of oil annually, making the country fully independent from Russian crude, and positioning itself as a strong player in European energy independence.

An old shabby sign with "Druzhba Oil Pipeline" written in Russian. Ukrainian oil pipeline "Druzhba". Carpathians, Ukraine - May 2021

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