WARSAW: A leak was detected in an oil pipeline in Poland which is the main route through which Russian crude oil reaches Germany, the Polish operator said Wednesday.
The operator, PERN, said it detected a leak in the Druzhba pipeline, which originates in Russia, on Tuesday evening about 70 kilometres (45 miles) from the central Polish city of Plock.
It said the cause of the leak wasn't known. Firefighters were working at the site of the leak, PERN said.
The incident follows leaks late last month in the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines running along the Baltic seabed.
Last year, Russia accounted for some 35% of Germany's crude oil supply. But that proportion has been reduced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the country's focus now is on phasing out the remaining supplies before a European Union embargo on most Russian imports goes into effect.
A month ago, the German government took control of three refineries owned by Russia's Rosneft, which account for about 12% of Germany's oil refining capacity.