On Friday, the German government announced that it had taken control of Russian oil firm Rosneft’s German operations. The move comes as the Federal Republic looks to reduce its reliance on Russian energy.

Germany seizes Russian refineries

Germany’s economics ministry announced on Friday that Russian oil firm Rosneft’s German subsidiaries were placed under the control of the Federal Network Agency. “The trust management will counter the threat to the security of energy supply,” the ministry said, according to The Local. Rosneft’s German operations comprise around 12 percent of the country’s oil refining capacity.

Germany has seized the operations of Rosneft Deutschland GmbH (RDG) and RN Refining and Marketing GmbH (RNRM), which includes their stakes in three refineries: PCK Schwedt, MiRo and Bayeroil. Operations at the refineries have been disrupted over the past year, as the German government decided to cut Russian oil imports due to the war with Ukraine. PCK Schwedt had been a particular cause for concern as it supplies Berlin and the surrounding area, including the airport, with around 90 percent of its oil.

Now, German authorities can use the refineries to refine crude oil from other countries. Recently, Germany has been scrambling to secure its energy supplies, with a view to completely stopping Russian energy imports by the end of the year. This includes reopening coal power plants and extending the life of its nuclear power plants.