Zelensky: Ukraine has repaired the “Druzhba” oil pipeline — it can resume operation

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has repaired a section of the “Druzhba” oil pipeline that was damaged by a Russian strike in January.

A post about this appeared on Zelenskyʼs social media after he had a conversation about energy with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal, and “Naftogaz” Chairman Serhiy Koretsky.

The pipeline may resume operations. However, Zelensky warned: no one can guarantee that Russia will not attack it again.

Ukraine links the unblocking of a €90 billion European loan and other steps by the EU, in particular regarding negotiating European integration clusters and new sanctions against Russia, to the repair of the oil pipeline.

Previously, Hungary blocked the loan due to the suspension of the oil pipeline. After the elections, the incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that he would not block the loan, like his predecessor Viktor Orban, but he also said that the transit of Russian oil through “Druzhba” should resume, and the head of the Hungarian oil company MOL is planning a trip to Russia this week to negotiate supplies.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said he is not against a loan to Ukraine, but will block the 20th package of sanctions against Russia until he receives guarantees of reopening the “Druzhba” oil pipeline.

What about "Druzhba"?

Ukraine has suspended oil transit through the “Druzhba” pipeline since late January due to Russian attacks. For their part, Hungary and Slovakia, which received the vast majority of their oil through “Druzhba”, have said that Ukraine is blocking the oil route "for political reasons".

Hungary then blocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine from the EU until Kyiv reopened the “Druzhba” oil pipeline. On February 26, Orbán wrote an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of anti-Hungarian policies and calling for the reopening of “Druzhba”.

Zelensky reacted and said that he would not restore the “Druzhba” pipeline damaged by Russia, because it involves Russian oil.

In March, Ukraine agreed to EU assistance to repair the “Druzhba” pipeline. At that time, Zelensky reported in a letter to the EU leadership that it would take about a month and a half to restore transit through the “Druzhba”. Already on April 14, Zelensky reported that the pipeline would be repaired by the end of April and that it would resume operations.

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