ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 22. Kazakhstan has received information from unofficial sources about a possible suspension of oil transit to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told reporters within the framework of the Regional Ecological Summit in Astana, Trend reports.
According to the minister, so far there has not been an official notification from the Russian side about a potential halt. He noted that no transit shipments are currently planned for May via the Atyrau–Samara route, which feeds into the Druzhba pipeline and supplies the Schwedt refinery in Germany.
The minister suggested that the restrictions are likely due to technical difficulties, adding that they may be linked to recent strikes on Russian infrastructure. He noted that this remains an assumption.
At the same time, Akkenzhenov stressed that Kazakhstan does not plan to reduce oil production. He added that the country has the flexibility to redirect volumes to alternative export routes, describing the overall situation as stable.
Kazakhstan currently exports oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline, transiting through Russia. Earlier media reports indicated that supplies could be suspended from May 1 following a decision by the Russian side.