On April 21, three industry sources said Russia will halt deliveries of Kazakh oil to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline beginning May 1. The sources, who asked to remain anonymous, said an amended export schedule has been sent to officials in Kazakhstan and Germany.
Those sources reported the change without providing further operational details. Russia's energy ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment, according to the information released by the sources.
Observers point to growing tensions in political and business relations between Russia and Germany as context for the disruption. The sources noted that Berlin has backed Ukraine in its conflict with Moscow, and that this has compounded bilateral strains.
Germany took a major step in 2022 when it placed local units of Rosneft, Russia's largest oil producer, under trusteeship. That action was described by the sources as a significant rupture in what had been decades-long energy ties between the two countries.
The sources provided data on recent flows: Kazakhstan's oil volumes delivered to Germany via the Druzhba pipeline totalled 2.146 million metric tons in 2025, equivalent to roughly 43,000 barrels per day. That figure represents a 44% increase compared with 2024.
Kazakh crude reaches Germany over the northern spur of the Druzhba system, which traverses Poland en route to consumers in Germany. Those pipeline segments have experienced repeated interruptions in recent times, including incidents attributed to Ukrainian drone strikes on pipeline infrastructure inside Russia.
One of the German facilities supplied in part by Kazakh crude carried by the Druzhba route is the PCK refinery in Schwedt in Germany's northeast. The sources noted that Schwedt has relied on Kazakh shipments via the pipeline after a prior pause in Russian oil deliveries following the onset of Moscow's conflict with Ukraine in 2022.
Context and immediate effects
The affected volumes reported for 2025 amount to approximately 43,000 barrels per day delivered to Germany from Kazakhstan along the Druzhba northern spur. The sources indicated the amendment to the export schedule has already been circulated to the relevant Kazakh and German authorities. No additional commentary was provided by Russian energy officials at the time the sources disclosed the information.