Belarus cuts off Latvia from Russian oil

Belarus has shut off the pipeline which carries over 10 million tons of oil a year to Latvia from Russia. The country’s Emergency Ministry states that it is due to the poor condition of the pipe.

Belarusian officials said that they found over a thousand defects, and insisted there have been leaks in recent years.

The Russian owner of the pipeline has yet to comment.

The suspension comes shortly after the latest deterioration of trade links between Moscow and Minsk.

There was a row over milk from Belarus in June, and recently Russia banned meat produced in their factories.