Ukraine drone attack halts Russian oil supply to Hungary via Druzhba, says Hungary FM

On the night of March 11, a Ukrainian drone struck a measuring station of the Druzhba pipeline, which is critical for oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said.

"As a result of the overnight drone attack, oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline toward Hungary had to be temporarily suspended," Szijjártó stated in a video address.

He added that he spoke with Russia's deputy energy minister, who assured him that repairs were underway and oil supplies could resume soon.

Szijjártó condemned attacks on energy infrastructure essential for Hungary's supplies.

"Hungary is not to blame for the war between Russia and Ukraine. Hungary is not responsible for the war between Russia and Ukraine. Hungary has stayed out of this war and wants to continue doing so. Our energy supply is a matter of sovereignty, and we expect everyone to respect that," he said.

The Hungarian minister also noted that the European Commission had provided guarantees that such an attack would not happen, but these guarantees had been violated.

Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that on the night of March 11, its forces struck occupiers' facilities in two regions of Russia. 

In particular, explosions were recorded near the Stalnoy Kon linear production dispatching station in Oryol Oblast, which manages technological processes of the Druzhba oil pipeline and is an important part of oil supply processes to the Ust-Luga marine port terminal in Leningrad Oblast.

Hungary is using the pipeline issue to block further sanctions against Russians, according to Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the Ukrainian president's sanctions policy envoy. He said that Hungary demands the lifting of sanctions against Russian oligarchs, including Alisher Usmanov and his sister, Mikhail Fridman, Petr Aven, Dmitry Mazepin, and others.

March 15, 2025, is the deadline for the European Union to extend sanctions against individuals and entities linked to Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Hungary has yet to approve the extension.

• The agreement on transporting Russian oil through Ukraine was signed in 2019 and remains in effect until the end of 2029. As a result of Ukraine's sanctions against Lukoil in 2024, Hungarian MOL Nyrt. became the new customer of transportation services, purchasing Russian oil at the Belarus-Ukrainian border.
• Russian oil transit continues in 2025, though a bill to ban it has been introduced in Ukraine's parliament.
• Since December 5, 2022, the European Union has imposed a partial embargo on Russian oil imports, which does not yet apply to supplies through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
• The Czech Republic plans to stop buying Russian oil in 2025, but Hungary and Slovakia have not announced similar intentions.