The Slovak government has allocated 250,000 tons of crude oil from the State Material Reserves to ensure domestic production following the disruption of the Druzhba oil pipeline near the Ukrainian city of Brody in the Lviv region, according to a statement published on the government’s website.
“The government today decided to release 250,000 tons of oil from the State Material Reserves, which will allow Slovnaft, a.s., to produce goods for the needs of the Slovak Republic for at least the next month,” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said after the cabinet meeting.
The statement notes that Slovnaft is seeking alternative sources of crude oil supply to reduce its dependence on Russia, with the main alternative being the Adria pipeline from the Croatian coast. Fico also assured that there will be no shortage of petroleum products in Slovakia, but said that Slovnaft is currently suspending oil exports to Ukraine and other export operations.
“Everything that is produced will be intended for the Slovak market,” the prime minister said.
It was also reported that Fico discussed the situation around the Druzhba pipeline with Slovakia’s ambassador to Ukraine and expressed his intention to propose that the ambassador request permission to visit Brody.
“Not only him, but also a group of experts from Slovakia, so that we can see with our own eyes what happened there, whether the damage is as Ukraine claims or whether it is fabricated, since our intelligence reports that everything has been repaired and is technically ready for oil supplies. We will also ask the European Commission to send a monitoring group to verify what actually happened in Brody, because if this is political blackmail, as in the case of gas, it is absolutely unacceptable,” the Slovak prime minister said.
According to Slovak media reports, Fico also stated that Slovakia could halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine.
“We may decide to withdraw from the electricity supply agreement,” he said.
