Hungary: Druzhba Oil Pipeline Repairs to Take at Least Five Days After Ukrainian Strike

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Friday that repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline will take “at least five days” after the latest attack attributed to Ukrainian forces disrupted supplies to Central Europe.

Szijjártó wrote on social media that he had spoken with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin about the technical consequences of the strike, noting that Moscow is working to restore the vital supply route “as quickly as possible.”

“This incident is far more serious than previous ones,” Szijjártó said, stressing that the attack involved both missiles and drones. Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline have now been interrupted for the third time in recent months.

The disruption prompted both Hungary and Slovakia to lodge a complaint with the European Commission, demanding guarantees for the security of their energy supplies.

Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková confirmed that the pipeline was hit again near the Belarusian border. “There has been a new attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline. Pumping will soon stop. We are investigating the extent of the damage,” she said earlier on Friday.

Szijjártó added that he and Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár had already appealed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and European Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen to take “promised measures” to prevent further Ukrainian attacks on the infrastructure supplying Hungary and Slovakia.

The Druzhba (“Friendship”) pipeline, one of the world’s largest oil networks, delivers Russian crude to several European countries. Its repeated disruption highlights the vulnerability of energy infrastructure amid the ongoing Russia–Ukraine conflict, which continues to spill over into Europe’s energy security.