The leg of the pipeline transports Urals crude to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Hungary's MOL and Unipetrol, controlled by Polish PKN Orlen, are the main buyers of Urals in the region, which is heavily dependent on Russian crude.

EUROPEAN UNION BAN

The European Union agreed in May to ban most imports of Russian crude and oil products by the end of this year following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, excluding landlocked refineries in eastern Europe and Germany.

Even before the EU's decision, many European buyers of Russian oil have voluntarily suspended purchases or announced plans to do so in the future.

As a result of the EU's ban and voluntary actions, about 90% of Russian imports to the block could be halted.

Following is a summary of facts about EU use of Russian oil:

HOW MUCH RUSSIAN OIL DOES THE EU IMPORT?

Europe was the destination for nearly half of Russia's crude and petroleum product exports before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

The EU imported 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in 2021, including 0.7 million bpd via pipeline.

The bloc also imported 1.2 million bpd of refined oil products from Russia, including 0.5 million bpd of diesel.

Graphic: Russian oil exports by destination - https://fingfx.thomsonreuters.com/gfx/mkt/movanboajpa/russianoildestination.PNG

WHICH EU COUNTRIES IMPORTED THE MOST OIL FROM RUSSIA?

Germany, Poland and the Netherlands were the EU's top buyers of Russian crude oil in 2021, the IEA has said.

Germany and Poland are on the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, the main transit route for Russian oil exports to Europe.

The Netherlands, Europe's fuel trading hub, was the EU's top importer of refined products from Russia.


Graphic: Who imports how many Russian barrels? -

WHICH EU COUNTRIES WERE MOST DEPENDENT ON RUSSIAN OIL?

The EU countries close to Russia geographically, or landlocked and having limited alternatives, have depended most on Russian oil imports.

EU countries' reliance on Russian fuel has been underpinned by Russian companies, such Rosneft and Lukoil, controlling refineries in some of them.

Graphic: Which cou
ntries are most dependent on Russian crude oil and refined oil products? -

Countries on the southern route of the Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine, are especially dependent on Russian crude.

According to the IEA, the southern leg of the Druzhba pipeline accounts for around a third, or 250,000 barrels per day of Russian crude oil imports to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

For those importing by sea, Russian oil accounted for more than 80% of imports in Finland and Lithuania. Both countries, however, have said they have stopped buying crude oil from Russia.

Graphic: Druzhba pipeline -

(Compiled by Shadia Nasralla and Nerijus Adomaitis; editing by Barbara Lewis)