Ukraine has made significant progress in restoring the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged at the end of January due to a Russian strike. President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the repair work is expected to be completed during the spring, and a substantial portion of the necessary restoration measures has already been carried out.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Suspension of Supply and Diplomatic Disputes
The damage to Druzhba has led to the suspension of Russian oil transportation to Slovakia and Hungary. This has heightened tensions in relations between Kyiv and Budapest. Hungary accused Ukraine of deliberately blocking the pipeline and has obstructed the approval of another loan from the European Union for Kyiv, as well as the imposition of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
President Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine will fulfill the agreement and complete the repairs within the specified timeframe.
“We will finish the repairs because that is the agreement. I told them that we will finish this spring. A lot has already been done… Of course, the destroyed tanks cannot be repaired quickly”
Positions of the Parties Regarding the Incident
The Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly urged Budapest to abandon the import of Russian oil, denying any deliberate delays in restoring Druzhba. At the same time, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims that Ukraine intentionally limited the operation of the pipeline to influence its political positions ahead of the elections scheduled for April 12.
Earlier, citing unnamed sources, it was reported that the repair work is planned to be completed as early as April.