Hungary, Slovakia clash with Ukraine over oil pipeline

"The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline carries Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine and into Central Europe. Opened in 1964, it is one of the largest oil pipelines in the world, connecting West Siberian oil fields to major refineries in Europe. The pipeline has the capacity to pump more than 2 million barrels per day but has been delivering only a fraction of it as most European countries turned away from Russian fossil fuels since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022."

"Hungary and Slovakia are among the last remaining customers of Russian oil within the European Union, after other countries weaned off their dependence and diversified their supplies over the past four years. The Druzhba serves as the primary conduit for Russian crude deliveries to the two landlocked nations. They both hold exemptions to EU sanctions on Russian piped oil."

"Budapest and Bratislava have also increased their dependency on Russian energy deliveries, relying on Moscow for 86-100% of their oil supply. Russian crude deliveries via the Druzhba's southern section stood at 9.7 million metric tons last year, with Slovakia receiving 4.9 million and Hungary some 4.35 million, Reuters news agency reported, quoting Ukrainian consultancy ExPro."

The Druzhba pipeline, a Soviet-era infrastructure opened in 1964, transports Russian crude from West Siberian oil fields through Belarus and Ukraine to Central Europe. Once capable of pumping over 2 million barrels daily, it now operates at a fraction of capacity due to European countries reducing Russian fossil fuel dependence following the 2022 invasion. The pipeline splits into northern and southern legs, with the southern section supplying Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Shipments have stalled since January, with Ukraine attributing the disruption to Russian drone strikes while Hungary and Slovakia blame Kyiv for prolonged outages. Hungary and Slovakia remain among the EU's last Russian oil customers, holding sanctions exemptions and relying on the Druzhba for 86-100% of their oil supply, receiving approximately 9.7 million metric tons annually.

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