The Czech Republic ends its energy dependence on Russian oil imports

PRAGUE (AP) — The Czech Republic has boosted its energy security by completing a project to finish the country’s dependence on oil delivery from Russia, the government said on Tuesday.

The Czech Republic previously received about half of its oil, or 4 million metric tons, through the Druhzba pipeline from Russia.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the Russian imports were no longer necessary because the country is "able to get all its oil supplies from the West.”

The Czechs have invested over 1.5 billion Czech koruna or crowns ($61 million) to double the capacity of the Italian TAL pipeline to 8million metric tons a year. A branch of the pipeline, which continues as IKL through Germany, serves the Czech Republic, or Czechia. That amount of oil imported will fully cover the country’s need.

Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura said the Orlen Unipetrol refiner does not plan to import any Russian oil any more, starting in the second half of the year.

The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary are the only remaining European Union member states still receiving oil from Russia. The other 24 EU countries stopped buying Russian oil as part of EU sanctions following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The Czech Republic already stopped importing Russia gas earlier this year.