Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine are locked in a dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, the Soviet-era artery that transports Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine into Central Europe. Flow on the pipeline’s southern branch has been suspended since January 27. Kyiv says a Russian drone strike damaged the line and that repairs are in progress; Budapest and Bratislava accuse Ukraine of intentionally blocking deliveries for political reasons.
Background
Commissioned in 1964, the Druzhba is one of the world’s largest oil pipelines, with a theoretical capacity exceeding 2 million barrels per day. Deliveries have dropped since many European buyers curtailed purchases of Russian oil after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The pipeline splits into a northern route serving Poland and Germany and a southern route supplying Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Reliance on Russian oil
Hungary and Slovakia remain among the EU countries most dependent on piped Russian crude and have EU exemptions allowing continued imports. Both governments are regarded as relatively Russia-friendly and have resisted broader EU efforts to phase out piped Russian oil. Estimates have put their reliance on Russian supplies at roughly 86–100% of oil needs at times. In 2024, around 9.7 million metric tons of Russian crude moved through the Druzhba’s southern section—about 4.9 million tons to Slovakia and 4.35 million tons to Hungary, according to Ukrainian consultancy ExPro. A May 2025 analysis by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated Hungary and Slovakia together paid roughly €5.4 billion to Russia for crude since the start of the full-scale war.
Political fallout and accusations
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, labeled the disruption a ‘Ukrainian oil blockade,’ alleging—without publicly presented proof—that it was timed to raise fuel prices before Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election and hurt his reelection chances. Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, called the stoppage political blackmail tied to Slovakia’s stance on the war and said he might suspend emergency electricity exports to Ukraine until Druzhba flows resume.
In response to the row, Hungary vetoed a proposed €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine and blocked a new package of sanctions on Russia—moves that drew sharp criticism from Ukraine and several other EU leaders.
Ukraine’s response
Kyiv denies responsibility for the outage, maintains the damage resulted from a Russian attack, and has urged Budapest and Bratislava to raise their grievances with Moscow. Ukrainian officials described threats and ultimatums from the two governments as provocative and irresponsible, warning such rhetoric undermines regional energy security. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the statements benefit the aggressor.
Alternatives and feasibility
Ukraine has suggested alternative transit routes, including using its own transport network or maritime routes via the Odesa–Brody link to reach western markets. The Adria pipeline, which runs from Croatia’s Adriatic coast inland, is another proposed option. Hungary has portrayed the Adria line as a fallback, while Slovakia has questioned its tested capacity and highlighted potentially much higher costs—some estimates cited by opponents say up to five times the price of Druzhba deliveries. Conversely, the CREA report contends that Hungary and Slovakia can realistically phase out Russian oil and that the Adria pipeline could satisfy their combined needs.
The standoff underscores how energy interdependence remains a volatile mix of economics, domestic politics and security in Central Europe, with implications for diplomacy and EU unity over policy toward Russia.
Edited by: Ashutosh Pandey