Finance
Druzhba Oil Flow to Slovakia Resumed Early on Thursday, Slovak Ministry Says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on April 23, 2026
3 min readLast updated: April 23, 2026
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Crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline to Slovakia resumed at 2 a.m. GMT on Thursday, lifting Hungary’s veto on a blocked €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine and easing a major political stalemate.
Druzhba Oil Pipeline Flow to Slovakia Resumes After Outage and Dispute
Resumption of Druzhba Oil Pipeline Operations
By Jan Lopatka
April 23 (Reuters) - Slovakia said it began receiving crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline early on Thursday, with supplies expected later to reach Hungary, which had blocked European aid to Ukraine over a months-long outage that Kyiv blamed on a Russian air strike.
The Druzhba pipeline has become one of the most politically charged pieces of infrastructure in Europe since the halt in Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia in January.
Timeline of Events and Restoration
Oil through the Ukrainian section of the pipeline started flowing on Wednesday, prompting Hungary to lift its veto on a 90 billion euro ($105.4 billion) EU loan urgently needed by Ukraine. After Ukraine, the pipeline runs to Hungary via Slovakia, which confirmed on Thursday that oil had reached it.
"The Economy Ministry informs that today at 2 a.m. (0000 GMT) the reception of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline was resumed," a ministry statement said.
Expected Oil Deliveries
Slovakia said it expected to receive 119,000 tons of oil through the pipeline by end of April.
Disputes Over the Cause of the Outage
Conflicting Claims from Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia
Ukraine had said the halt in oil flows was due to the need to repair the pipeline. Hungary and Slovakia accused Kyiv of dragging its feet.
Slovak Prime Minister's Statement
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico said he welcomed the reopening of the pipeline but that he believed this proved that the blockage had been politically motivated.
"I believe that a serious relationship between Ukraine and the European Union was established yesterday and today through the agreements reached regarding the loan and the opening of the Druzhba pipeline," Fico told reporters on Thursday.
"I think that the opening of the Druzhba pipeline at 2 a.m. this morning confirms that the Druzhba pipeline was not damaged... It wasn’t damaged, and the Druzhba pipeline and oil were used as tools in a geopolitical struggle."
International Reactions and Ongoing Investigations
There has been no external mission to check on the damage but the EU has backed Ukraine's account that it was hit by Russian forces.
Moscow has blamed Kyiv for stopping Russian oil flowing through the pipeline without directly addressing the allegation that it had been damaged during a Russian attack. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv to Fico's allegation.
Continued Dependence on Russian Energy
Hungary and Slovakia continue to rely on Russian oil and gas and are trying to maintain supplies despite EU efforts to end Russian energy imports after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
($1 = 0.8543 euros)
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in PragueEditing by David Goodman and Philippa Fletcher)
Key Takeaways
- •Oil flows through Ukraine’s Druzhba pipeline have resumed early on April 23, enabling deliveries to Slovakia and, subsequently, Hungary.
- •The resumption dismantled Hungary’s and Slovakia’s blocks on a €90 billion EU loan intended to support Ukraine, after this infrastructure standoff had caused months of EU deadlock.
- •The outage, blamed by Ukraine on Russian drone attacks in January, had become a geopolitical flashpoint with Kyiv denying the outage was politically motivated while Hungary and Slovakia accused Ukraine of delaying repairs.
Frequently Asked Questions about Druzhba oil flow to Slovakia resumed early on Thursday, Slovak ministry says
1When did Slovakia resume receiving oil through the Druzhba pipeline?
Slovakia resumed oil reception through the Druzhba pipeline at 2 a.m. on Thursday, April 23.
2What caused the months-long outage in the Druzhba pipeline?
The outage was blamed on damage during a Russian air strike, but Ukraine cited necessary repairs, while Hungary and Slovakia accused Kyiv of delaying restoration.
3Why did Hungary block EU aid to Ukraine?
Hungary blocked European aid to Ukraine over the outage in the Druzhba pipeline until oil flows were restored.
4How much oil does Slovakia expect to receive through the Druzhba pipeline by the end of April?
Slovakia expects to receive 119,000 tons of oil through the pipeline by the end of April.
