The first half of the year saw a surge in purchases of Russian oil by the Czech Republic despite the EU nation’s declarations it would wean itself off of Russian energy supplies, according to a Monday release by state oil pipeline operator Mero.

Despite the extensive economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU, the Czech Republic purchased the most Russian oil since 2012, importing the crude oil via the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, according to Barbora Putzova, and spokesperson for Mero.

Mero said, “The share of oil imports from Russia versus imports from other countries in the first six months of this year was, rounded up, 65.35%.”

Oil deliveries to the Czech Republic come primarily from two sources, the Druzhba Pipeline, which delivers Russian oil, and the IKL pipeline, which delivers oil from the Transalpine (TAL) pipeline, which originates at a marine terminal at Trieste in Italy.

The Czech Republic has an exemption from the sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU because it requires about 7 million metric tons per year of oil, and that cannot be satisfied through solely the TAL pipeline.

Although the EU banned deliveries of seaborne oil from Russia in December, a temporary exemption for pipeline deliveries was enacted to satisfy EU members who otherwise could not meet the energy needs of their populations.

Druhzba, among the longest networks of pipelines in the world, carries crude oil nearly 2,500 miles from Russia to the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, were refineries process it.