Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto reported a conversation with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin following another strike on the Druzhba pipeline. According to Szijjarto, this incident was more serious than previous ones: he stated that during the attack, not only drones but also missiles were likely used.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“My Russian colleague assured me that they would restore the supply route as quickly as possible, but repairs will take at least five days.”
Consequences for Energy Supply in Hungary and Slovakia
After the latest attack on the Druzhba pipeline on August 22, Hungary and Slovakia reported another halt in oil supplies from Russia. This occurred just a few days after the Hungarian Foreign Ministry announced the resumption of pipeline operations on August 20 following a previous attack.
According to the commander of the Ukrainian Drone Forces, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), this is already the third strike on the Druzhba infrastructure in August — the previous ones occurred on the 13th and 18th. The latest incident was recorded in the Bryansk region of Russia on the night of August 22.
Political Reaction and Accusations
The Hungarian government accused Ukraine of attempting to obstruct energy supplies to the country. Following the previous attack on the oil refinery in the Tambov region, which occurred on the night of August 18, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha advised Peter Szijjarto to direct his complaints to Moscow.
Szijjarto also expressed hope that the European Commission would use this time to fulfill its promises and stand against Ukraine’s attempts to block oil supplies to Hungary.