Slovakia and Hungary Demand EU Protection After Ukrainian Attacks on Druzhba Pipeline

Slovakia and Hungary have formally lodged a complaint with the European Commission over repeated attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which have disrupted Russian oil deliveries to both countries. According to a letter from Slovakia’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs cited by European Pravda, the two nations are concerned that the pipeline’s infrastructure has been compromised for the third time in just nine days.

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár and his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó addressed their concerns directly to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen. In their letter, they urge the Commission to immediately act to ensure adherence to EU commitments regarding energy security for member states.

Blanár recalled a statement by the European Commission from 27 January 2025, emphasizing that the integrity of energy infrastructure is a matter of Union-wide security and that third countries must respect this principle. The Commission had also asserted its readiness to safeguard critical energy infrastructure, including oil pipelines. “We consider it absolutely necessary that the EC defend the interests of member states and the energy security of its citizens, including those of the Slovak Republic. Any threat to the energy security of our country is unacceptable,” Blanár stressed, noting that oil deliveries were halted most recently on Monday following the attacks.

The ministers detailed that, although repairs restored supplies quickly in previous incidents, the latest attack near the Belarusian border - allegedly carried out by Ukraine - caused significant damage, the full extent of which remains unknown. They warned that oil deliveries to Slovak refineries could be disrupted for as long as five days due to the incident.

In their letter, both Blanár and Szijjártó condemned Ukraine’s actions, describing them as a serious threat to the energy security of Slovakia and Hungary. They called on the European Commission to uphold its commitments and ensure the uninterrupted supply of energy to EU member states.

The Druzhba pipeline has been under repeated assault. On the night of 17-18 August, Ukrainian forces, including units from the Unmanned Systems Forces, struck the Nikolske oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region. Following this, Szijjártó suggested that Hungary might halt electricity exports to Ukraine, despite such supplies being provided on a commercial basis.

The European Commission, however, responded by stating that the Ukrainian strike on the Druzhba pipeline did not affect oil deliveries to Slovakia and Hungary, rejecting Budapest’s complaints regarding Kyiv. Nonetheless, both Bratislava and Budapest maintain that these attacks constitute a serious risk to their energy security and are pressing the EU for immediate protective measures.