Russia pays Ukraine 3.5 million euros in compensation for dirty oil
Ukrainian oil company UkrTransNafta received from the Russian oil giant Transneft compensation of 3.5 million euros for the supply of low-quality oil to the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline, reports UkrTransNafta's press-service.
"This is not the final amount, as Transneft continues to reserve the capacity of UkrTransNafta [pipelines]," reads the message of the press-service.
The amount of compensation is determined within the framework of existing contractual relations and depends on the balance of volumes of low-quality Russian oil in the Ukrainian oil transportation system on the first day of each month.
On April 22, Belarusian Mozyr Oil Refinery shut down due to low-quality Russian oil with a high content of chlorides. On the same day, the Belarusian concern Belneftekhim temporarily restricted the export of oil from Russia to other countries. On April 25, Poland stopped the transit of low-quality Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline section due to the risk of a severe industrial accident. On April 26, Ukraine made a similar decision.
On April 27, the advisor to the President of Transneft, Igor Demin, said that the oil was allegedly "contaminated intentionally." Russian law enforcement officers started a criminal process.