Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleOil flow to Hungary and Slovakia resumes via Druzhba pipeline after a Ukrainian drone strike halted supplies. Slovakia and Hungary remain reliant on Russian energy.
(Reuters) -Oil is once again flowing to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, officials from both countries said late on Tuesday, after a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil pumping station in Russia's Tambov region halted supplies.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure, a key conduit for generating money for Kremlin's war efforts, with oil and gas sales accounting for a quarter of Russia's total state budget proceeds.
Unlike most other European Union countries, Slovakia and neighbouring Hungary have kept up their dependence on Russian energy and get most of their crude through the Druzhba pipeline.
"The flow of oil to Slovakia is currently standard," Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said in a statement.
"In the coming days, we will have clearer information about whether there will be any adjustments to the supply schedule for this month ... However, I believe that given the rapid resumption of flow through the Druzhba pipeline, the impact will be minimal."
Oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary also resumed, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a statement.
"I have just thanked Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin for the swift rectification of the damages caused by the attack," Szijjarto wrote in a Facebook post.
Hungarian oil company MOL said in an emailed statement that fuel production was not disrupted during the temporary shutdown.
Oil flows via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline were also briefly suspended in March following a Ukrainian attack on a metering station.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anita Komuves; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Tom Hogue and Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
A Ukrainian drone strike on an oil pumping station caused a temporary halt in oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline.
Unlike most EU countries, Slovakia and Hungary have maintained their dependence on Russian energy, primarily receiving crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline.
Denisa Sakova stated that the flow of oil to Slovakia is currently standard and that clearer information about supply adjustments will be available soon.
Hungarian oil company MOL reported that fuel production was not disrupted during the temporary shutdown of oil flows.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto thanked Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin for the swift rectification of the damages caused by the attack.
Explore more articles in the Headlines category
