Russia halts oil supplies to Poland after Warsaw decides to deliver battle tanks to Ukraine

The file photo shows the logo of the PKN Orlen on the top of a building in Warsaw, Poland.

Poland’s biggest refiner PKN Orlen says Russia has halted oil supply to the European country through Ukraine, following Warsaw's decision to deliver its first Leopard 2 battle tanks to the former Soviet state.

In a post on his Twitter account on Saturday, Daniel Obajtek, chief executive of the state-owned PKN Orlen, said Russia has stopped the oil transport through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, adding that the company would use alternative sources to fill the gap.

"We're effectively securing supplies. Russia has halted supplies to Poland, for which we are prepared. Only 10% of crude oil has been coming from Russia and we will replace it with oil from other sources," Obajtek said.

The company further noted that it could fully supply its refineries via sea, stressing that the halt in pipeline supplies would not impact deliveries of gasoline and diesel to clients.

PKN Orlen has been getting oil under a deal with Tatneft, a second-tier Russian oil company based in Tatarstan, since its contract with Russia's state-owned giant Rosneft expired in February.

Russia, the world's second-biggest oil exporter, and leading gas exporter, has already reduced gas pipeline flows to many EU members amid heightened tensions with the West over its military offensive in Ukraine.

The latest development came after US President Joe Biden visited Poland and Ukraine this week to stress "unwavering" support for the ex-Soviet republic in its current war with Russia.

The Polish defense minister announced on Friday that Poland has delivered the first Leopard 2 battle tanks to Ukraine.

Russia's decsion to cut oil supplies also came a day after the European Union approved a tenth package of sanctions against Moscow, following Washington’s announcement of imposing sweeping restrictions on the country.

Russia launched what it calls "a special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, over the perceived threat of the ex-Soviet republic joining NATO. Since then, the United States and Ukraine's other Western allies have supplied it with tens of billions of dollars worth of weapons, including rocket systems, drones, armored vehicles, tanks, and communication systems.

Western countries have also imposed a slew of economic sanctions on Moscow. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned that the sanctions and the Western military assistance will only prolong the war.