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Russia reduces jet fuel flow to Berlin airport

Wolfgang Bernert
May 15, 2026

Berlin flights depend on fuel from the Schwedt refinery. But Russia has cut Kazakh oil flows to the refinery, forcing Germany to seek new supply routes via Poland.

https://p.dw.com/p/5DdBe

The fuel supply for Berlin's airport is closely tied to the PCK Refinery in Schwedt, a key energy hub for eastern Germany and parts of Poland. The refinery, long dependent on crude oil deliveries from Kazakhstan via the Druzhba pipeline, is facing new uncertainty after Russia halted transit at the start of May.

The disruption raises questions about fuel security for aviation, petrol and diesel across the region. Alternatives such as shipments via the Polish port of Gdansk are under discussion, while talks between Berlin and Warsaw continue. At the same time, the German government is backing Schwedt’s future with hundreds of millions of euros earmarked for cleaner, climate-neutral jet fuel, signaling a possible turning point for one of Germany’s most strategic refineries.