Germany’s reassurance about restored Kazakh oil supplies masks deeper vulnerabilities in European energy security as Ukraine’s strategic strikes on Russian infrastructure expose the fragile nature of alternative supply routes. The brief disruption of Kazakhstan’s crude deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline demonstrates how the ongoing conflict continues to threaten energy flows that European nations desperately need to replace banned Russian imports. This incident highlights the precarious position of countries like Germany that have pivoted to Central Asian oil sources while still relying on Russian-controlled transportation infrastructure. The successful restoration of supplies within days reveals both the resilience of alternative arrangements and the persistent risks facing Europe’s energy transition away from Russian dependence.
How Ukrainian drone strikes temporarily disrupted Kazakh oil supplies to Germany
Kazakhstan’s oil exports to Germany via Russia’s Druzhba pipeline were briefly disrupted after Ukrainian attacks on the infrastructure, but supplies had been restored and were not at further risk, the German economy ministry said on Tuesday.
Ukraine’s military said on Monday that its drones had struck an oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region, which it said was part of Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine, leading to the suspension of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
Germany’s PCK refinery – one of the country’s largest – in the northeastern town of Schwedt is supplied in part byย Kazakh crude transportedย via the pipeline.
“The delivery route was briefly disrupted. But there has not been any impact on the supply security. The operations of the PCK refinery have not been impaired,” a spokesperson for Germany’s economy ministry told Reuters.
Kazakhstan’s oil exports have become crucial for German energy security
Kazakhstan’s energy ministry said separately that its oil supplies have not been restricted despite the attacks.
“According to available information, the transportation of Kazakh oil is currently carried out in a normal mode without restrictions on the acceptance of oil from shippers,” it said in emailed comments.
Hungary and Slovakia, which normally receive Russian oil via the southern branch of the pipeline, said on Monday thatย flows had been halted,ย with Budapest blaming a Ukrainian attack on a part of the network.
What the brief disruption reveals about Europe’s energy vulnerability patterns
Kazakhstan’s oil is increasingly important for East German refineries.
Kazakhstan’s oil exports to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline for the period from January to July jumped 38% year on year to 1.086 million metric tons – equivalent to 37,550 barrels per day – according to pipeline company Kaztransoil.
Supplies through the Druzhba pipeline in July alone totaled 160,000 tons.
A source familiar with oil exports to Germany told Reuters that a batch of Kazakhstan’s oil for Germany scheduled for shipping last Thursday and Friday was pumped with a two-day delay over the weekend.
Germany’s refinery operations adapted to geopolitical energy supply changes
The Schwedt refinery has been under German trusteeship since Russia’s Rosneft ROSN.MM was stripped of its majority control following Berlin’s seizure of Rosneft entities in response to Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Germany stopped buying Russian oil in 2023.
Germany’s successful navigation of this brief supply disruption demonstrates the effectiveness of its strategic pivot away from Russian energy dependence while highlighting the ongoing challenges of operating within a conflict zone’s energy infrastructure. The rapid restoration of Kazakh oil flows through alternative arrangements shows that European energy security frameworks have developed sufficient resilience to handle temporary disruptions without compromising industrial operations or consumer supplies. This incident serves as a real-world test of the contingency planning that has guided Europe’s energy transition since 2022, proving that diversified supply sources can maintain stability even when transportation routes face military targeting. The seamless continuation of refinery operations at Schwedt illustrates how Germany has successfully transformed its energy supply chains to reduce vulnerability while maintaining the industrial capacity essential for economic stability.
GCN.com/Reuters.