Ukraine attack suspends Russian oil flows to Hungary, Slovakia
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A still image from a social media video shows the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia - part of the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline - on fire after an attack.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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- Ukraine struck Russia's Unecha oil pumping station, part of the Druzhba pipeline, potentially halting oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia for five days.
- Hungary and Slovakia appealed to the EU to guarantee supply security, highlighting their reliance on the Druzhba pipeline amid increased attacks.
- EU and Kazakhstan stated that oil supplies to Germany were uninterrupted. Russia and Ukraine increased attacks on each others energy.
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KYIV/BUDAPEST - Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia could be suspended for at least five days after a Ukrainian strike on a facility in Russia, Hungarian and Slovakian officials said on Aug 22, in a widening of the fallout of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other’s energy, hitting Ukrainian domestic heating supplies, Russia’s Druzhba pipeline and other facilities, over the past few weeks as US President Donald Trump has pushed for a deal to end the conflict.
The European Union reduced energy supplies from Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is seeking to phase out Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027.
EU members Slovakia and Hungary have maintained relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed sanctions against Russia that Ukraine says are vital to make Moscow drop unacceptable war demands. They also oppose the phase-out of Russian energy supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban published on Aug 22 a letter he wrote to Mr Trump in which he says that Ukraine attacked Druzhba just days before the US president met Mr Putin in Alaska on Aug 15. Mr Orban called the attack a “very unfortunate move”.
A photocopy of the letter posted by Mr Orban on Facebook showed what appeared to be a handwritten note on it from Mr Trump, saying: “Viktor - I do not like hearing this - I am very angry about it.”
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hungarian and Slovak foreign ministers also wrote to the European Commission on Aug 22 saying that the latest Ukrainian attack could leave them without Russian oil imports for at least five days, urging it to guarantee the security of supplies.
“The physical and geographical reality is that without this pipeline, the safe supply of our countries is simply not possible,” Hungary’s Peter Szijjarto and Slovakia’s Juraj Blanar said in their letter.
The EU says it has invested in energy infrastructure in Croatia that could provide the two countries with alternative supplies.
The Ukrainian strike on the night of Aug 21 marked the second time this week that Russian oil supplies have been cut to Hungary and Slovakia, after a halt on Aug 18 and 19.
Ukraine's military said late on Aug 21 it had again struck the Unecha oil pumping station, a critical part of Russia's Europe-bound Druzhba oil pipeline.
A Russian industry source also said the supplies could be halted for a few days. The Russian energy ministry did not reply to a request for comment.
Moscow has repeatedly targeted Ukraine’s gas infrastructure, hitting preparations for winter heating for the population and fuel for key industries in attacks it says are aimed at degrading the Ukrainian military.
Ukraine has damaged several Russian refineries, aiming to disrupt Russian energy exports financing Russia’s invasion and create fuel shortages in a number of Russian regions.
Kazakh oil not affected
The Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Belarus and Ukraine, ships oil from Kazakhstan to Germany, as well as from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia.
Germany said its supplies of Kazakh oil, particularly to the PCK Schwedt refinery that supplies Berlin, were unaffected by the latest strike.
“Security of supply is assured,” the economy ministry said.
Kazakhstan also said its oil flows via Druzhba were not affected.
Hungarian minister Mr Szijjarto said his government learned on the evening of Aug 21 of the attack.
“This is another attack against our energy security,” he wrote on Facebook.
Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol confirmed the interruption in an emailed statement.
Mr Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s unmanned systems forces, posted a video on Telegram messenger showing a large fire at a facility with numerous fuel tanks.
Reuters could not confirm the location of the infrastructure in the video.
Russian regional governor Alexander Bogomaz, whose Bryansk region borders both Ukraine and Belarus in the far west of Russia, said on Aug 22 that an energy facility at Unecha had caught fire as a result of Ukrainian missile and drone attacks, adding that the blaze has been extinguished.
“As a result of repelling a combined attack carried out by Himars MLRS missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, a fire broke out at a fuel infrastructure facility in the Unecha district,” Mr Bogomaz said on Telegram. REUTERS
