On August 22, the foreign ministers of Hungary and Slovakia sent an official letter to the European Commission, urging it to pressure Ukraine to stop attacks on Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline.
Situation Overview
- Within just nine days, there have already been three strikes on Druzhba infrastructure, which transports oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia.
- The European Commission has not yet commented on the letter, but previously stressed that energy supplies to these countries are not under threat, since alternative delivery routes exist.
- The latest strike occurred on August 22 in Russia’s Bryansk region, reported by Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces.
- Previous attacks took place on August 13 and 18.
Reactions
- Hungary accused Ukraine of disrupting its energy supplies.
- Slovakia joined the criticism after the most recent incident.
- Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha earlier advised his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó to “file complaints with Moscow,” as Russia is the true source of the EU’s energy dependency.
Context
- On August 18, a refinery in Russia’s Tambov region was targeted, leading to a temporary suspension of oil supplies.
- On August 20, Hungary reported that deliveries via Druzhba resumed, but they were halted again after the latest strike on August 22.
Why It Matters
The repeated strikes on the Druzhba pipeline highlight the vulnerability of Russia’s energy infrastructure and increase strategic pressure on EU states that remain dependent on Russian oil. Once again, it proves that Europe’s energy independence is impossible without cutting reliance on Russian oil and gas.
