A section of the Druzhba pipeline network burst at around 03:20 p.m. (12:20 GMT) on Wednesday, some 90 kilometers southwest of the city of Lipetsk, the ministry said in a statement. Repair work is underway.
The oil did not spill into the nearby river Vorgol, the ministry said.
Druzhba, the world's longest pipeline network, was built in the 1960s to pump oil from central Russia to Europe.
The pipeline starts in central Russia's Samara Region, and divides into two branches. The southern branch pumps crude via Ukraine, while the northern branch passes through Belarus, and then on to Germany via Poland.
Published by i On Global Trends - Mike Hitchen Online - news, opinion, analysis
See also Sydney Irresistible and Mike Hitchen Unleashed
Putting principles before profits
See also Sydney Irresistible and Mike Hitchen Unleashed
Putting principles before profits
