Russia suspends Kazakh oil transit to Germany, Kazakhstan reroutes supplies
Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov said the country will not supply oil to a refinery in Schwedt via the Druzhba pipeline in May.
«The Russian side claims it lacks the technical capability to pump Kazakhstan’s oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Germany. This is most likely due to recent attacks on Russian infrastructure,» he stated, adding that this was his assumption.
He said that oil transit to the Schwedt refinery is not planned for May. Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry later confirmed this in an official statement. Kazakhstan typically exports oil to Germany via the Atyrau-Samara pipeline and then through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Russian territory.
Earlier this week, Reuters, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that Russia would halt the transit of Kazakh oil to Germany starting May 1.
Around 3 million tons were planned for delivery to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline this year, compared with earlier expectations of 2.5 million tons. In the first quarter, Kazakhstan delivered 730,000 tons, twice as much as in the same period last year. By comparison, the country shipped 2.1 million tons of oil to Germany in 2025.
Akkenzhenov said there has been no official announcement from Russia regarding a suspension of transit via the Druzhba pipeline. These supplies account for about 20% to 30% of the refinery’s needs.
The Schwedt refinery previously processed Russian oil, but after Germany imposed restrictions on Russian crude, Kazakhstan began supplying oil via the Druzhba pipeline in 2023, as its crude has similar technical characteristics.
The minister said there are no plans to reduce oil production despite the temporary disruption.
«We are not talking about lowering output. We still have the ability to redistribute these volumes along other routes,» he said, adding that the suspension is expected to last only in May.
He said supplies could be redirected through alternative routes, including the Caspian Pipeline Consortium, the Baltic port of Ust-Luga and China. However, the Ust-Luga terminal has also faced risks, having been targeted by the Ukrainian military.
