Hungary’s Oil Supply Disrupted Again After Druzhba Pipeline Strike

Hungary has once again ceased receiving crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline, following a fresh Ukrainian drone and missile strike near the Russia‑Belarus border. The incident, confirmed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, marks yet another blow to the country’s energy security, prompting widespread concern in both Budapest and the broader European energy market.

According to statements shared on social media, Szijjártó described the disruption as ‘another attack against our energy security’ and warned that it amounted to ‘an attempt to drag us into the war.’ Hungary’s dependence on this pipeline has made such interruptions deeply destabilising.

The strike appears to have targeted the critical Unecha pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region, part of the northern corridor of the Druzhba network. Ukrainian military officials acknowledged responsibility, while footage circulated online showed a blaze at the site late Thursday night. Local authorities confirmed the fire, though it was extinguished by morning.

This marks the third interruption to the pipeline within just two weeks, following earlier attacks that caused temporary halts. Prior disruptions were also attributed to Ukrainian drone strikes.

Despite the disruption, the supply of Kazakh crude oil flowing through alternative branches of the pipeline to Germany remains unaffected. Oil relief for Hungary and Slovakia came swiftly; flows were reported to have resumed shortly after repairs. Hungarian officials expressed gratitude to Russian counterparts for the quick response.

Yet, the frequent disruptions continue to expose the vulnerabilities of Hungary’s energy strategy, which remains heavily reliant on Russian imports via the Druzhba artery — a legacy infrastructure dating to the Soviet era, designed to supply multiple Eastern European nations.