Kyiv, Budapest Spar Over "Druzhba" Pipeline Attacks

On August 24, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called on his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó not to dictate to Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy. "There is no need to tell the President of Ukraine what and when to do or say. He is the President of Ukraine, not Hungary," Sybiha wrote on the social network X.

The dispute was sparked by Szijjártó's reaction to Zelenskyy's statement during a press conference dedicated to the 34th anniversary of Ukraine's independence. Zelenskyy hinted that the attacks on the "Druzhba" oil pipeline are related to Hungary's position on Ukraine's EU membership, notes the Ukrainian publication "European Pravda." "We have always supported friendship between Ukraine and Hungary. And now the existence of 'Druzhba' depends on Hungary's position," Zelenskyy said.

Szijjártó called on Zelenskyy not to threaten Hungary and to "stop the reckless attacks" on Hungary's energy security.

Commenting on Szijjártó's words about energy security, Andriy Sybiha called on Hungary to diversify its oil supplies and become "independent of Russia, like the rest of Europe."

As a reminder, on the night of August 18, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck the Nikolskaya oil pumping station in the Tambov region of the Russian Federation, as a result of which the transportation of oil through the "Druzhba" main oil pipeline was completely stopped. Hungary and Slovakia announced the resumption of Russian oil supplies on the evening of August 19.

Earlier, on August 13, Ukrainian drones attacked the largest hub of the "Druzhba" pipeline, the "Unecha" linear production and dispatch station in the Bryansk region. Oil supplies from the Russian Federation to Hungary were also temporarily suspended. On August 21, Ukrainian drones again attacked the "Unecha" station, and currently oil is not being supplied through the pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia.