Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that repairs on the ‘Druzhba’ oil pipeline, damaged by a Russian strike, have been completed. He indicated that the pipeline is now ready to resume operations.
“Ukraine has completed repair work on the section of the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike. The pipeline can resume functioning,” President Zelensky stated.
However, he cautioned that there are no guarantees against future Russian attacks on the pipeline’s infrastructure. Zelensky emphasized that Ukrainian specialists have established the basic conditions necessary for the pipeline and its equipment to operate again.
The President expressed hope that the repairs would facilitate the unlocking of a European support package approved by the European Council, as well as strengthen sanctions against Russia.
He also highlighted the importance of diversifying energy supplies in Europe and reducing reliance on Russian energy resources.
Background on the Attack and Regional Reactions
On January 27, a Russian attack in Brody, located in the Lviv region, damaged critical infrastructure associated with the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline. Naftogaz reported that the Russian military targeted this critical infrastructure, resulting in a fire and halting operations at the site.
According to the publication enkorr, the damaged facility in Brody is linked to the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline, which is still operational and used for transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
On February 12, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha stated that the flow of Russian oil through the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline had been suspended since January 27 due to the attack. He also noted that Budapest is preparing to file complaints regarding transit issues.
“Hungary has not expressed any protest to Russia about this. They couldn’t even bring themselves to mention the word Russia. This is a clear example of double standards,” Sybiha remarked.
Both the Hungarian and Slovak governments announced a halt to diesel exports to Ukraine until Russian oil supplies through the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline are restored.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry indicated that Kyiv had informed Budapest about the Russian strike on the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline and the resulting damages on January 27, asserting that accusations of delays in supplies from Ukraine are illogical.
The European Commission has expressed a desire for Ukraine to restore operations on the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline, but due to the risk of further Russian attacks, the decision ultimately rests with Ukraine.
On February 21, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that Slovakia would stop supplying electricity to Ukraine on February 23 if Ukraine did not restore oil transit through the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline. Similar statements were made by the Hungarian government.
Ukraine has proposed that the European Union utilize the ‘Odesa-Brody’ pipeline as an alternative to the damaged ‘Druzhba’ pipeline for oil supplies to the EU.
On February 27, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reported that Hungary and Slovakia are forming a joint investigative commission to assess the condition of the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline.
On March 11, it was reported that a delegation from Hungary, led by State Secretary Gábor Csepregi, arrived in Ukraine to evaluate the status of the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline and to discuss the restoration of oil transit to Hungary. Subsequently, Zelensky stated that he was unaware of any Hungarian delegation arriving in Ukraine, as the Hungarian government had not coordinated with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry regarding the visit.
Ukraine has successfully repaired the 'Druzhba' oil pipeline, which was damaged by a Russian attack, allowing it to potentially resume operations. However, concerns remain about the risk of further attacks, and regional tensions persist as Hungary and Slovakia navigate the implications of the disruption in oil transit.