Czech Republic Achieves Oil Independence from Russia

The Czech Republic has achieved independence from Russian oil, marking a historical milestone. Upgrades on the TAL pipeline have enabled full supply capacity, ending reliance on the Druzhba pipeline. The Czech refinery, Orlen Unipetrol, will fully transition to the upgraded TAL pipeline, ensuring sufficient oil supply.

The Czech Republic has declared its full independence from Russian oil supplies, a significant achievement announced by government officials on Thursday. This follows completed capacity enhancements on the western TAL pipeline.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala, during a televised news conference, confirmed the first increased supplies have arrived at the country's central oil depot. The government has been working to eliminate partial dependency on the Druzhba pipeline, a channel for Russian oil for nearly six decades.

The pipeline operator, MERO, successfully upgraded the Transalpine (TAL) pipeline, which transports oil from Trieste, Italy, through Germany, into the Czech Republic. The improvements increased the country's capacity to 8 million tonnes annually, meeting national demands. Orlen Unipetrol, the main refiner, previously sourced half its needs from Russia, but will now rely entirely on the TAL pipeline.

(With inputs from agencies.)