Ukraine Began Oil Transit to Belarus

Oil from Ukraine is supplied to refineries in the Gomel region through the Odessa-Brody pipeline and one of the branches of the Druzhba pipeline, Ukrtransneft said. The Ukrainian company Ukrtransneft began oil transit to Belarus. The Odessa-Brody pipeline and one of the two branches of the Druzhba oil trunk pipeline were used to supply Azerbaijan Azeri Light oil to the Mozyr oil refinery in the Gomel region, Ukrtransneft announced on Tuesday, March 17. Meanwhile, a tanker with Russian oil, bought by the Belarusian side from traders without premium arrived in Lithuania. The vessel embarked on unloading at the port of Lithuanian Klaipeda, Alexander Tishchenko, press secretary of the Belarusian state concern Belneftekhim said. According to him starting with March 18, oil will be supplied by rail to the Naftan refinery in Novopolotsk, Vitebsk region. In early January, Russia cut off oil supplies to Belarus due to the existing supply contracts expiration. Minsk refused to pay premium to the price of oil suppliers amid rising prices for Russian raw materials. President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko demanded to reduce the country's dependence on Russian oil. The same month, Belarus received a shipment of Norwegian oil through Lithuania. On March 11, Belarusian Prime Minister Sergey Rumas announced that Belarus intends to purchase at least two oil tankers from alternative sources every month. This will happen even if Moscow and Minsk agree to resume deliveries from Russia, Rumas emphasized after negotiations with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin.