Belarus reduces flow on oil pipeline to Poland amid border crisis

Minsk, November 18 - Neftegaz.RU. Belarusian operator Gomeltransneft Druzhba has limited the pumping of oil through the Druzhba pipeline from Russia to Europe, which crosses Belarus because of unscheduled repair works on one of the branches, Igor Demin, a representative of Russia's Transneft pipeline monopoly, told reporters as carried by TASS.

The Druzhba oil pipeline carries oil to Belarusian oil refineries and then via 2 branches to Ukraine and the EU member states of Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, and Lithuania.


The reduction of oil flows to Poland and Germany takes place amid rising tensions on the Belarus-Poland border, where violence erupted on Tuesday in clashes between migrants and Polish border guards.
The EU said on Monday it was broadening the scope for sanctions against Belarus:

• To tackle hybrid attacks and instrumentalisation of migrants
• The EU will now be able to target individuals and entities organising or contributing to activities by the Lukashenko regime that facilitate illegal crossing of the EU's external borders

Last week, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko threatened to halt natural gas supply at the key Yamal pipeline from Russia to Germany passing through Belarus if the EU imposes additional sanctions on the country in response to the migrant crisis at the Belarus-Poland border.

Despite the threats by Lukashenko, German authorities reported that gas flows via the Yamal pipeline had actually increased over the weekend.


Author: Charles Kennedy