Polish refiner Orlen has announced the cessation of Russian oil purchases for its refineries, effectively ending its reliance on Russian energy resources. 

This comes after the company’s last remaining contract for Russian crude oil, which served Orlen's refinery in the Czech Republic, expired in June 2025.

“Since March 2025, all of the Group’s refineries have been supplied exclusively with crude oil sourced outside of Russia,” Orlen said in a statement.

“The final contract for Russian oil deliveries expired at the end of June, marking the complete elimination of Russian crude from Orlen’s supply chain.

“This means that Orlen – and, by extension, the entire region – is no longer bound by any agreements with Russian entities for the supply of oil.”

Previously, Orlen had ended all contracts for oil deliveries to Poland via the Druzhba pipeline and ceased importing Russian oil by sea. The company’s Polish and Lithuanian refineries have been processing crude oil sourced from outside Russia since 2023.

The recently concluded contract was signed 12 years ago. It covered oil deliveries to Orlen's Litvínov refinery in the Czech Republic. Orlen's other Czech refinery in Kralupy had already been utilising non-Russian crude.

However, the Litvínov plant had continued to rely on the Druzhba pipeline due to limited pipeline infrastructure for alternative supplies.

The Czech refineries have diversified its oil procurement, now sourcing crude from regions such as the Middle East, Persian Gulf, North Sea, Africa, and the Americas. This diversification aligns with the European Union's broader strategy to reduce reliance on Russian energy imports, particularly following the conflict in Ukraine.

Recently, the European Commission proposed a gradual phase-out of Russian gas and oil imports by 2027, as outlined in the REPowerEU road map. This initiative aims to secure the EU's full energy independence from Russia.