Increase in Russian Oil Transit through Ukrainian Pipeline in July Reported by Ukrainian Enterprise
It's been alleged that Russia boosted its oil shipments through Ukraine by a considerable margin in July, as per Ukrainian consultancy firm ExPro. The amount of Russian crude oil heading to EU nations via Ukraine climbed to 1.09 million tonnes in July from 540,000 tonnes in June, according to the company's statement. During the period from August 1 to 19, the transit volume exceeded 600,000 tonnes, the firm added. Earlier, Hungary and Slovakia complained about Ukraine restricting oil flow. Ukrainian authorities chose not to comment on the oil exports.
The monthly volume of oil transported via Ukraine shows instability, fluctuating between approximately 500,000 tonnes in June and over 1.2 million tonnes in January. Initially, the Ukrainian government had plans to bar Russian oil exporter Lukoil from using the "Friendship" pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, to deliver oil to Hungary and Slovakia's refineries. These EU nations threatened potential fuel shortages starting September if no alternatives were found.
However, EU Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis slammed both Hungary and Slovakia for not sufficiently looking into substitutes for Russian oil supplies, which have been sanctioned since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Presently, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are benefiting from exemptions.**
The EU needs to address the issue of Russian oil transit through Ukraine, as the Commission shall adopt implementing acts laying down the rules for the application of relevant regulations. The escalating oil shipments from Russia to EU nations via Ukraine necessitate urgent action from the EU authorities.
