A number of countries in Europe dependent on Russian energy suffered another blow Tuesday with a confirmation that oil shipments have stopped through a critical pipeline.
The Russian state pipeline operator Transneft said it stopped shipments through the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which flows through Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Transneft said the company's Ukrainian counterpart was refused, because of European Union sanctions for its action on August 4, and that it has to pay for its payment to the company's Ukrainian counterpart.
The northern leg of the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus to Poland and Germany, was unaffected, according to Transneft.
EU leaders agreed in May to impose a ban on most Russian oil imports by the end of the year as part of the bloc's sanctions over Moscow's war in Ukraine.
The embargo covers Russian oil brought in by sea, but allowed temporary Druzhba pipeline shipments to Hungary and certain other landlocked countries in central Europe.
Transpetrol, Slovakia's oil pipeline network operator, and the refining company Slovnaft, said that Druzhba shipments to the nation had stopped. Slovnaft, owned by Hungary's MOL energy group, said its production hasn't been affected.
Slovnaft spokeswoman Anton Molnar said the company and MOL were discussing with Russia and Ukraine an option for MOL to pay the transit fees.
The Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Sikela said the following days will show if there is another escalation of the energy war by Russia or a technical problem with payments.
Slovakia's economy minister, Richard Sulik, previously said his country has enough oil in its reserves for about 120 days.
Russia has curtailed natural gas shipments to Europe after most countries refused to abide by Russian President Vladimir Putin's wartime order requiring payments in rubles instead of dollars or euros.