A halt in oil supplies by Russia to the Czech Republic on Tuesday via the Druzhba pipeline is due to payment issues between Czech refineries' Polish owner and Russian suppliers, the Czech industry minister was cited as saying.

Druzhba is the largest Russian oil pipeline supplying crude to Europe. Built in the 1960s, it splits in the Belarusian city of Mazyr into northern and southern branches. The northern route runs through Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, while the southern branch extends through Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary.

Oil has stopped flowing through the "Druzhba" pipeline to the Czech Republic, posing a problem for Orlen Unipetrol. On Wednesday, the Czech government decided to lend the company up to 364,000 tons of crude oil from strategic reserves if the interruption in oil supply persists.

Payment issues linked to U.S. sanctions on Russia were behind the latest halt in oil supplies by Russia to the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Russian oil supply to the Czech Republic via the Druzhba pipeline was cut short on Tuesday.

Oil flow through the "Druzhba" pipeline to the Czech Republic has ceased, posing a challenge for Orlen Unipetrol. On Wednesday, the Czech government decided to lend the company up to 364,000 tonnes of crude oil from its strategic reserves if the supply interruption continues.

Czechia has stopped receiving Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. The country is prepared for such a development, the Czech oil pipeline operator MERO ČR reports. "We have information about the cessation of oil supplies to Czechia via the Druzhba pipeline.