A section of the Druzhba pipeline linking the Polish city of Plock to German refineries has reportedly suffered damage.
TVN24, citing the local fire department, reported late Sunday an oil spill on a section of the Russian Druzhba pipeline near Pniewy, western Poland.
The spill was discovered earlier that day following reports of a strong petroleum odor from local residents.
Fire service spokesperson Martin Halasz stated that firefighters responding to the scene found an oil-like substance in a nearby field where the pipeline runs. The fire department contacted PERN, Poland’s state pipeline operator, who confirmed a pipeline leak.
A PERN representative on-site reported the pipeline’s shutdown, with maintenance crews assessing the damage and investigating the cause. The nature of the damage (accidental or deliberate) remains unclear.
The fire department confirmed no fire or explosion risk from the leak.
Constructed in the 1960s, the Druzhba pipeline comprises two branches totaling approximately 4,000km (2,485 miles), connecting Russian and Kazakh oil producers with European consumers.
The affected pipeline section connects the PERN oil supply base near Plock to two German refineries, forming part of the northern branch. Branching from Mozyr, Belarus, the northern branch supplies Poland and Germany, while the southern branch serves Ukraine, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. While the flow of Russian oil through the northern branch ceased due to EU sanctions in early 2023, oil shipments to Germany resumed last December.