On March 18, a delegation of European engineers will visit Ukraine to inspect damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was affected by a recent Russian strike. The visit comes as part of ongoing discussions regarding financial assistance for Ukraine, with logistics coordinated by the EU’s representation in the country.
According to a European Commission official, the experts aim to assess the damage as soon as possible, ahead of an EU summit on March 19 where leaders will discuss unlocking a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Notably, representatives from Slovakia and Hungary will not participate in the pipeline inspection.
“Hungary requested such a mission, and if I understand correctly, there were representatives in Ukraine who were ultimately denied access. I believe it makes sense to involve independent experts for this visit, and there is readiness for that now. We have contacted experts from EU member states, as we do not have experts who focus on pipelines,” the official stated.
In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukraine’s acceptance of the EU’s proposal for financial and technical support to repair the Druzhba pipeline.
The pipeline was damaged during a Russian attack on January 27 in Brody, located in the Lviv region of Ukraine. The Ukrainian oil and gas company reported that the Russian military targeted critical infrastructure, resulting in a fire and halting technological processes at the site.
The affected facility is associated with the Druzhba pipeline, which continues to operate and is used for transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. On February 12, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline had been suspended since the January attack, and Budapest was preparing to file complaints regarding transit issues.
“Hungary has not expressed any protest to Russia regarding this matter. They could not even utter the word Russia. This is a clear case of double standards,” Sybiha remarked.
Both Hungary and Slovakia have announced a halt to diesel exports to Ukraine until Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline are restored. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated that Kyiv informed Budapest about the pipeline attack and subsequent damage on January 27, asserting that accusations of delays in supplies are illogical.
The European Commission has indicated a desire for Ukraine to resume operations on the Druzhba pipeline, but has acknowledged that the decision rests with Ukraine due to the risk of further Russian attacks.
On February 21, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that Slovakia would cease electricity exports to Ukraine on February 23 if oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline was not restored. A similar statement was issued by the Hungarian government.
Ukraine has proposed to the EU the use of the Odessa-Brody pipeline as an alternative for oil supplies to the EU, given the damage to the Druzhba pipeline.
On February 27, Hungary and Slovakia announced plans to form a joint investigative commission to visit Ukraine and assess the state of the Druzhba pipeline.
On March 11, reports emerged that a Hungarian delegation, led by State Secretary Gábor Csepregi, had arrived in Ukraine to evaluate the condition of the Druzhba pipeline and discuss the resumption of oil transit to Hungary. However, President Zelensky later stated that he was unaware of any Hungarian delegation’s arrival, as there had been no arrangements made with Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding such a visit.
A European delegation is set to assess damage to Ukraine's Druzhba pipeline following a Russian attack. The visit coincides with discussions on financial aid for Ukraine, as Hungary and Slovakia express concerns over oil transit disruptions.