Russian oil exports to Hungary, Slovakia via Druzhba pipeline return to normal
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Russian oil exports to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline returned to normal levels in May, Reuters reported on June 3, citing industry sources, marking the first full month of deliveries since transit resumed in April.
Hungary and Slovakia began receiving crude oil through the pipeline again on April 23 after a months-long disruption. The outage began in late January after a section of the pipeline was damaged in what Ukrainian authorities said was a Russian air strike.
The Druzhba pipeline, part of which crosses Ukraine, remains a key route for supplying Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia under an exemption from European Union sanctions imposed over Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Hungary and Slovakia are the only EU member states that still receive Russian oil via the pipeline.
For months, the disruption fueled tensions between Kyiv, Budapest, and Bratislava, with Hungary and Slovakia accusing Ukraine of obstructing oil shipments. Ukrainian authorities rejected those claims, saying transit was temporarily halted to repair infrastructure damaged in Russian attacks and that the work would be completed in the spring.
Hungarian oil company MOL, which operates refineries in both Hungary and Slovakia, told Reuters it had purchased 10 different types of crude oil this year as part of a strategy to diversify supplies.
"Both the eastern and southern crude oil pipelines are currently operating without disruption, and we are exploring additional pipeline connections, such as the possibility of using the route through (Odesa) in the future," the company said.
