Just days after flows on the Druzhba oil pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia resumed following a Ukrainian attack on a pumping station, Ukraine hit the infrastructure anew, and supplies to the central European countries were suspended again.
Major Robert Brovdi, the commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said early on Friday that Ukraine had again hit the pumping station at Unecha.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto posted on Facebook on Friday that due to the latest attack, oil pipeline deliveries would be halted for at least five days.
Ukraine harms Hungary and Slovakia with these attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, not Russia, Szijjarto said, adding that the oil pipeline plays a key role in ensuring Hungary’s energy security.
The Druzhba pipeline carries Russian crude to Central Europe. The pipeline is a key artery of oil supply from Russia to Europe, with two branches – a northern one via Belarus that supplies Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and Lithuania, and a southern one passing through Ukraine and sending oil to the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Croatia.
Russian crude oil flows via pipeline are not subject to sanctions or embargoes, as landlocked central European countries don’t have much choice.
While the Czech Republic earlier this year became independent from Russian deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, for the first time ever, Hungary and Slovakia have continued to rely on the Soviet-era infrastructure for most of their crude oil supply.
The latest attack is the second hit on the Druzhba pipeline this week, after oil flows were halted at the beginning of the week, following a Ukrainian attack. Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline were restored on Wednesday, but they were suspended again on Friday.
Hungary continues to blame Ukraine for the attacks on what it says is its energy security, while Hungary and Slovakia called on the European Commission to uphold its energy security promises to protect critical energy infrastructure.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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