Russia's share in Czech oil imports exceeds 60 per cent

In 2023, the Czech Republic increased the share of Russian oil in its imports from 56 per cent to 65 per cent.

In the first four months of the year, the republic bought 8 per cent more oil than in the same period of the previous year, which amounted to a total of 2.31 million tons, local publication Ekonomický deník reports.

At the same time, the cost of imported fuel was lower: the Czech Republic paid 18.6 per cent less to suppliers, amounting to 24.8 billion crowns (about $1.12 billion).

In addition, the cost of gas imports decreased by 48 per cent year on year, amounting to 29.7 billion crowns (about $1.35 billion).

The publication also stressed that oil imports from the US have disappeared from the statistics, although they used to be quite significant, accounting for more than a tenth of imports in 2021. In 2023, Czech refineries receive oil only from three countries: Russia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

The Czech Republic, as a country without access to the sea and linked to Russia's Druzhba pipeline, asked the European Union for an exception to the ban on imports of Russian oil through this pipeline. The EU granted the request.