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The Hungarian and Slovakian Foreign Ministers have written to the European Commission calling for EU action to stop Ukraine’s continuing attacks on the Druzba oil pipeline on Russian territory.
The latest attack hit the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia on Thursday night. This is the third such attack in a week, effectively halting Russian oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia, which are still importing large amounts of Russian oil.
“Given that in the past years, the EU and its Member States have provided hundreds of billions of Euros’ worth of support to Ukraine, we find Ukraine’s actions, which severely threaten the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia, completely irresponsible,” read the letter, signed by Hungary’s Péter Szijjártó, and Slovakia’s Juraj Blanár.
Ukraine did not officially acknowledge striking the oil facilities. But Robert Brovdi, nicknamed Madyar (meaning Hungarian), who heads Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, posted a video on his Telegram account, showing the aftermath of the latest bombing, with the burning oil station. He added a sentence in Hungarian calling on Russians to go home. The footage was widely shared on social media.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó wrote on his X-account that oil deliveries for both countries will stop for at least five days. “Let’s be clear: with these attacks, Ukraine is not primarily hurting Russia, but Hungary and Slovakia,” the minister added.
The Druzhba pipeline delivers oil from Russia to Central Europe through Ukraine and Belarus. Hungary and Slovakia are the only EU member states still receiving piped Russian oil at scale after securing carve-outs from the bloc’s sanctions targeting exports of Russian oil.
Trump was angry about the attack
US President Donald Trump was quick to react in a handwritten response to a message of complaint about the attacks written to the White House by Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban and published by the Hungarian government.
“Viktor – I do not like hearing this – I am very angry about this. Tell Slovakia,” Trump wrote in block capitals, adding: “You are my great friend.”
The European Commission has not yet replied to a request for comment. On Tuesday, after the second such bombing, the Commission said the supply of the EU’s market was not at risk.
But Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski replied on X to a tweet by his Hungarian counterpart, claiming Ukraine wants to drag Hungary into the war.
“Peter, you have as much solidarity from us as we have from you,” Sikorski replied, referring to the frequent vetoes of the Hungarian government in the EU when it comes to the support for Ukraine.
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