Blasts hit Romanian, Hungarian oil refineries tied to Russia
Explosions occurred at oil refineries in Romania and Hungary on the evening of Oct. 20, both of which have links to Russia, local media reported on Oct. 21.
Russian oil remains a key source of revenue for Moscow's war effort in Ukraine. Despite the European Union's push to fully phase out Russian energy, several member states continue to receive supplies.
A midday explosion occurred at the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery in Ploiesti, southern Romania, on Oct. 20.
The facility, owned by a subsidiary of Lukoil, one of Russia's largest privately owned oil and gas companies, had reportedly been offline since Oct. 17 due to a planned technical inspection, according to Hungarian newspaper Vilaggazdasag.
A 57-year-old worker sustained serious head and leg injuries and was taken to intensive care.
In light of recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, local authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the incident was a deliberate act. Yet, other potential causes, such as human error or technical malfunction, are also being considered, according to Vilaggazdasag.
An explosion also occurred at Hungary's largest oil refinery, located in the city of Szazhalombatta, which receives crude oil from Russia, according to Hungarian media outlet Telex.
The Danube Refinery, situated 27 kilometers (about 17 miles) from Budapest and owned by the Hungarian oil company MOL, caught fire on the evening of Oct. 20 following the explosion. Firefighters managed to contain the blaze by the morning of Oct. 21.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The exact cause of the incident remains under investigation. The Szazhalombatta facility, considered the most advanced in Hungary's oil refining sector, may now face a temporary shutdown.
The refinery is supplied with crude oil from Russia through the Druzba pipeline.
Russia's Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery also suspended operations on Oct. 20 following a drone attack, according to Reuters.
The Novokuibyshevsk refinery, located in Volga Oblast, is part of Rosneft's Samara group of refineries, which includes the Kuibyshevsk and Syzran plants.
Ukraine has not commented on the explosions at oil refineries in Romania and Hungary, nor on the drone strike at the Novokuibyshevsk facility.
Arthur McFarlane
