Russia plans to stop transit of Kazakh crude through its territory to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline from May 1, 2026, a decision that could constrain supplies to the PCK refinery in Schwedt — the plant that provides most of Berlin’s diesel, petrol and heating oil.
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy told DW that Rosneft Germany informed the Federal Network Agency, which is acting as trustee for the facility, that the Russian Ministry of Energy has ordered Kazakh crude no longer be shipped through Russia to the Schwedt refinery as of May 1. The Russian government has not issued a formal notice to Germany. Rosneft Germany said it is assessing the implications and will adapt to any changes.
PCK Raffinerie Schwedt, about 100 km north of Berlin, was formerly run by Rosneft before the German state took control after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Since 2022 the refinery has increased imports of Kazakh crude delivered across Russia. While the bulk of PCK’s feedstock now arrives by sea through ports such as Rostock and via supplies routed through Poland, roughly 17% of the almost 12 million tonnes the plant processes each year still travels by the Druzhba pipeline.
A full cut in pipeline deliveries would force PCK to lower output, the ministry said, but would not ultimately endanger Germany’s overall supply of petroleum products. Rosneft Germany, now under German oversight, said it will fulfil contractual obligations and use available options to maintain deliveries. PCK did not respond to requests for comment.
The announcement comes amid wider strains in global energy markets. Conflict in the Middle East and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz have tightened flows and pushed prices up. Shortages of kerosene have hit airlines hard, prompting carriers such as Lufthansa to cancel thousands of flights.
Analysts note that since the 2022 invasion Russia has repeatedly used energy exports as leverage, and the latest developments underline Europe’s vulnerability while imports and transit via Russia continue. The EU has sharply cut its reliance on Russian energy — gas imports fell from about 45% to 12% by 2025, and oil from roughly 27% to 2% — and the REPowerEU plan aims to end Russian fossil-fuel imports entirely by 2027.
Moscow has not formally commented on the reported pipeline restriction. President Vladimir Putin has recently asked the government to consider measures to reduce energy deliveries to Europe, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has criticized the EU’s sanctions and its rejection of Russian oil amid the Middle East crisis. Kazakhstan’s energy minister has suggested that any pipeline closures could also follow technical damage, including after Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
Kazakhstan began sending crude to Schwedt in January 2023, helping the refinery diversify away from near-exclusive reliance on Russian oil. That shift to alternative supply routes means PCK may be able to secure other feedstock if Druzhba transit is halted for good. The refinery remains Russian-owned but is operated by Germany and has been exempted from US sanctions targeting Rosneft; that exemption, which was due to expire on April 29, was extended in March without a specified end date.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru