'Security situation' blocks EU inspection of Druzhba pipeline, Ukraine says
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European Commission experts are denied access to the Druzhba oil pipeline due to the "security situation," Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister Taras Kachka told Dutch station BNR Nieuwsradio in an interview published on March 31.
The remarks mark Kyiv's first acknowledgment that an EU delegation was unable to inspect damage to the pipeline, which carries Russian crude to Central Europe and has become a flashpoint between Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia.
The Druzhba pipeline, a major network transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, went offline in late January after Ukraine said a Russian strike damaged a pumping station. Budapest and Bratislava disputed that explanation, accusing Kyiv of deliberately restricting supplies.
Hungary and Slovakia vowed to block the EU's 20th sanctions package against Russia and a planned 90 billion euro ($104 billion) loan for Ukraine until deliveries resume.
Brussels later said it had received a letter from President Volodymyr Zelensky accepting the EU's offer of technical support and funding to restore operations.
Media reports initially suggested European Commission experts would visit the site on March 18, but the delegation ultimately did not gain access.
Kachka said the delay was due to "technical safety procedures," citing risks from Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and stressing that experts are not being deliberately obstructed.
"The problem is that Russia is destroying a great deal of our energy infrastructure: other pipelines, gas storage facilities, repair equipment," he said. "But we are prioritizing the Druzhba pipeline at Hungary's request, so it will be resolved."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also used the dispute during a tense domestic election campaign, criticizing Ukraine over the outage.
Earlier this month, Hungary dispatched its own team of experts to inspect the pipeline. Kyiv said the visit had not been coordinated and that the delegation had no official status or scheduled meetings with Ukrainian officials before returning home.
