Ukraine Attack Forces Suspension Of Russian Oil Supplies To Hungary & Slovakia

Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia have been suspended after Ukraine struck a key facility on Russia’s Druzhba pipeline. Officials from both countries said on Friday that the disruption could last for at least five days.

The Ukrainian military announced on Thursday night that it had targeted the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region. This facility is an essential part of the Soviet-era Druzhba network, which transports oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to several European countries.

According to Ukrainian forces, the strike was carried out using missiles and drones. A Russian regional governor later confirmed a fire had broken out at the site but said it was extinguished.

The suspension marked the second time in a single week that oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia were interrupted. Supplies had already been halted earlier on Monday and Tuesday after another strike.

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban called the incident a direct threat to his country’s energy security. Orban described the strike as “a very unfortunate move.” A copy of the letter posted on Orban’s Facebook page appeared to carry a handwritten note from Trump himself, reading: “Viktor – I do not like hearing this – I am very angry about it.”

The foreign ministers of Hungary and Slovakia, Peter Szijjarto and Juraj Blanar, also wrote jointly to the European Commission, warning that their countries could be left without Russian crude for at least five days. They stressed in their letter that “without this pipeline, the safe supply of our countries is simply not possible,” urging Brussels to guarantee alternative arrangements for oil supplies.

In response, the European Union said it had already invested in energy infrastructure in Croatia that could serve as an alternative route for Hungary and Slovakia. Despite this, both countries have remained opposed to EU sanctions on Russia and continue to resist the bloc’s plan to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by the end of 2027.

Meanwhile, Germany confirmed that its own oil deliveries through the Druzhba line remain unaffected. The German economy ministry said supplies of Kazakh oil to the PCK Schwedt refinery, which provides fuel to Berlin, are secure. Kazakhstan also confirmed that its shipments through the pipeline were not disrupted.

Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol issued a statement confirming the interruption. In Hungary, Foreign Minister Szijjarto posted on Facebook that the government learned of the attack on Thursday evening, calling it “another attack against our energy security.”

The Druzhba pipeline, built during the Soviet era, remains one of the world’s largest oil networks. It delivers Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia while also carrying Kazakh oil to Germany. While most of the European Union has reduced its reliance on Russian energy since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Hungary and Slovakia continue to depend heavily on this route, leaving them particularly vulnerable to disruptions from the ongoing war.

Reference: Reuters

Source: Maritime Shipping News