Russia curtails oil shipments to central Europe

Several countries in Europe dependent on Russian energy are suffering another blow with confirmation that oil shipments have stopped through a critical pipeline. Russia’s state pipeline operator, Transneft, said it had stopped shipments through the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which flows through Ukraine to the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Transneft cited complications due to European Union sanctions for its action, saying its payment to the company’s Ukrainian counterpart was refused. It says the northern leg of the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus to Poland and Germany, was unaffected. EU leaders agreed in May to embargo most Russian oil imports but allowed shipments to certain countries in central Europe.