Hungary, Slovakia and Ukraine are embroiled in a dispute over the Druzhba pipeline, a Soviet-era conduit that carries Russian crude through Belarus and Ukraine into Central Europe. Shipments through the pipeline’s southern branch have been halted since January 27. Kyiv says a Russian drone strike damaged the line and that repairs are underway; Budapest and Bratislava accuse Ukraine of deliberately blocking flows for political reasons.
Background
Opened in 1964, the Druzhba is one of the world’s largest oil pipelines. It can carry more than 2 million barrels per day, though deliveries have fallen sharply since many European countries reduced purchases of Russian fuel after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The pipeline splits into a northern leg serving Poland and Germany and a southern leg supplying Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.
Dependence on Russian oil
Hungary and Slovakia remain among the EU’s heaviest consumers of piped Russian oil and hold EU exemptions to continue those imports. Both governments are seen as comparatively Russia-friendly and have resisted EU pressure to end piped oil purchases. Estimates place their reliance on Moscow at roughly 86–100% of oil needs for some periods. In 2024, Russian crude sent via the Druzhba’s southern section totaled about 9.7 million metric tons—roughly 4.9 million for Slovakia and 4.35 million for Hungary, according to Ukrainian consultancy ExPro. A May 2025 report by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated Hungary and Slovakia paid about €5.4 billion to Russia for crude since the start of the full-scale war.
Accusations and political fallout
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, called the disruption a “Ukrainian oil blockade,” suggesting—without providing evidence—that it was intended to push up fuel prices ahead of Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election and harm his reelection prospects. Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, described the halt as political blackmail over Slovakia’s stance on the war and warned he might cut emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine until Druzhba flows resume.
In response to the dispute, Hungary vetoed a proposed €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine and blocked a fresh round of sanctions on Russia, moves criticized strongly by Ukraine and other EU leaders.
Ukraine’s position
Kyiv rejects responsibility for the outage, saying the damage was caused by a Russian attack and urging Budapest and Bratislava to take their complaints up with Moscow. Ukrainian officials have called threats and ultimatums from the two governments “provocative” and “irresponsible,” warning such rhetoric undermines regional energy security. Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said the statements play into the hands of the aggressor.
Alternatives and feasibility
Ukraine has proposed alternative transit options, including routing oil through its own transport system or by sea, potentially using the Odesa–Brody link to western markets. The Adria pipeline, running from Croatia’s Adriatic coast inland, is another option. Budapest has downplayed Adria as only a backup, while Bratislava questions its tested capacity and notes potentially much higher costs—some claims suggesting up to five times the cost of Druzhba deliveries. By contrast, the CREA report argues that phasing out Russian oil is fully feasible for Hungary and Slovakia and that the Adria pipeline could meet their combined needs.
The dispute highlights how energy dependencies remain a fraught political and security issue in Central Europe, affecting diplomacy, domestic politics and wider EU unity over responses to Russia. Edited by: Ashutosh Pandey