Russian oil flows via Druzhba to Czech Republic to resume 1800 GMT Friday -pipeline operator

Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline to the Czech Republic will resume at 1800 GMT on Friday, Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol said.

"Tonight at 20:00, the oil flow to the Czech Republic will be resumed," a spokesperson for Transpetrol said. On Tuesday, Russian pipeline monopoly Transneft said supplies via the Druzhba pipeline had been suspended to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia since Aug. 4 because Western sanctions prevented it from paying transit fees to Ukrainian transit company Ukrtransnafta.

Flows to Hungary and Slovakia were restarted on Wednesday after Hungary's refiner MOL and its Slovak unit Slovnaft found a workaround by paying the fee to Ukrtransnafta themselves, but supplies to the Czech Republic have not resumed. Central European countries are partially dependent on Russian oil and largely dependent on Russian gas, and have secured exemptions from the European Union's incoming ban on imports of Russian oil until they adjust their shipping routes and refineries so that they can take other oil.