Crude oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline have resumed after being disrupted by a Ukrainian strike on Russian infrastructure last week. Both countries remain significantly dependent on Russian crude and continue to seek stable supplies, despite the European Union’s wider push to reduce reliance on Russian energy.
Deliveries were interrupted several times during the previous week, with a complete halt beginning on August 21 after a pumping station in Unecha was struck. The Slovak Ministry of Economy and Hungary’s oil company MOL, which operates refineries in both nations, confirmed the resumption of supplies on Thursday. Slovakia’s Economy Minister Denisa Sakova said that crude oil had reached the country again via Druzhba and expressed hope that operations would remain stable without further attacks on energy facilities. MOL confirmed that oil was delivered to both Hungary and Slovakia but did not provide additional details. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto previously indicated that flows might restart in a limited mode, with volumes below normal levels.
During the suspension, Hungarian and Slovak refineries used their own reserves to keep operations running without disruption. Officials noted, however, that a longer halt in pipeline deliveries would require drawing from state emergency reserves and could increase the need for alternative supply routes, including imports through the Croatian pipeline network.
