Russian oil transit via Ukraine halted for sanctions

The supply of Russian oil to three European countries through Ukraine has been halted as the transit payment cannot be processed due to sanctions, Russian firm Transneft said Tuesday.

"On August 4, the delivery of Russian oil via the territory of Ukraine was halted," the oil pipeline operator said in a statement, adding that this had affected deliveries to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic through the southern leg of the Druzhba pipeline.

The company said the Ukrainian side stopped the oil transport  "due to not receiving funds for these services".

However, deliveries to Poland and Germany via Belarus were continuing  "as usual", Transneft added.

A spokesman for Slovak refinery Slovnaft confirmed that the transportation of oil through the Druzhba pipeline had been suspended for several days.

But he said that the company's Bratislava refinery was operating and supplying the market.