2 days ago
Russian oil flows to Hungary halted after Ukrainian attack, Budapest says
BUDAPEST, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Russian crude oil flows to Hungary were halted after Ukraine attacked a transformer station on the Druzhba pipeline, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday.
Hungary imports most of its crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine to Hungary and also Slovakia.
Szijjarto wrote on Facebook that he had talked to Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin who told him that experts were working to restore the transformer station, but it was unclear when deliveries will resume.
"This latest strike against our energy security is outrageous and unacceptable," Szijjarto wrote. He did not give any details about the location or time of the attack.
Ukraine's defence ministry and armed forces, and Hungarian oil company MOL , did not immediately respond to requests for comment. There was also no immediate comment from Slovakia's Slovnaft refinery, which receives Russian crude through the same pipeline.
Unlike many other European Union countries, Hungary has maintained close political and business ties with Russia and kept up its reliance on Russian energy since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Last year, Szijjarto said that the Druzhba pipeline would remain Hungary's primary route for crude oil imports.
Monday's suspension of oil deliveries comes after a temporary halt last week, when Ukraine's military said on August 13 that its drones hit the Uniecha oil pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region.
