Fico and Orban deny Russian attack on Druzhba and link fire to oil transit
Prime Ministers of Slovakia Robert Fico and Hungary Viktor Orban said that Russia had not allegedly attacked the Druzhba pipeline and that the fire in the Brody area should not affect oil supplies to their countries.
According to their position, the pipeline incident is not a reason to restrict transit, despite the fact that the large-scale fire was visible even from satellites and lasted for about ten days.
Details of the case
According to Bloomberg, Hungary and Slovakia use the situation with the suspension of transit as a lever of pressure on the European Union.
We are talking about blocking:
further financial assistance to Ukraine;
preparation of the 20th package of EU sanctions against Russia.
The article notes that Budapest and Bratislava insist on energy security guarantees before supporting new EU decisions on Ukraine.
Context.
The Druzhba pipeline remains the key route for Russian oil supplies to Central Europe. Any interruptions in its operation directly affect the energy balance of the region.
Earlier, Ukraine reported serious damage to infrastructure and the need for urgent repairs to the area near Brody. The incident took place against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine and the West's increasing sanctions pressure.
Political analysts speculate that the situation may be part of a broader geopolitical game around energy, sanctions and support for Kyiv, but no direct evidence of coordination on the part of Moscow has been publicly presented.
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