Bulgaria enforces full ban on oil imports from Russia

The Lukoil-Neftikhim refinery and Bulgarian Economy

The Lukoil-Neftikhim refinery has not imported Russian oil since the beginning of 2024, and this has had no impact on the Bulgarian economy. The National Assembly has made a decision to gradually reduce the import of Russian oil since the beginning of 2024.

A complete ban on the import of Russian oil came into effect in Bulgaria on Friday, March 1. Prior to this, the export of products made from Russian raw materials was already prohibited in Bulgaria since January 1. This was reported by the Bulgarian news agency BGNES.

The reason for the ban was Russia’s war against Ukraine. The EU imposed an embargo on Russian oil to reduce revenue for the Kremlin’s war efforts.

Bulgaria requested a postponement, and Brussels agreed. However, disputes arose in parliament from mid-2023, with some parties advocating for a complete ban on Russian oil.

Later, the National Assembly made a decision to gradually reduce the import of Russian oil since the beginning of 2024.

Deputy Delyan Dobrev stated that the Lukoil-Neftikhim refinery has not imported Russian oil since the beginning of 2024, and this has had no effect on the Bulgarian economy.