The Ukrainian branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, ?was severely damaged by fire after a Russian attack ?in late January, Ukraine's Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal told Interfax Ukraine on Tuesday.
Oil flows through the pipeline mainly operated by Russia have been suspended ?since January 27 after what Kyiv said was a ?Russian attack on pumping facilities in western Ukraine, triggering an ?EU dispute and prompting Hungary to try to block new ?sanctions on Moscow.
"Most of the internal equipment of the oil pipeline, ?various sensors and other equipment inside the oil pipeline were damaged by temperature conditions," Shmyhal told news agency Interfax.
Reuters could not verify the level of damages.
Hungary ?has also accused Ukraine of meddling in its April elections and has ?blocked a 90 billion euro EU loan to Kyiv.
"This (Druzhba pipeline) damage is not visible ?from ?the outside," Shmyhal told Interfax Ukraine, adding that the repair costs and time it will take will be calculated once the defects have been examined.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is ?likely to discuss ?the Druzhba ?pipeline problems in a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, a European Commission ?spokesperson said.
Moscow has accused Kyiv of threatening Europe's energy ?security ?by stopping Russian oil flowing through the pipeline.
Transit through the route in 2025 hit a 10-year low of 9.7 million tons, Kyiv-based ?oil consultancy ?ExPro said.
ExPro said Slovakia received 4.9 ?million tons of oil, while shipments to Hungary were 4.35 million tons.
(Reuters, March 3, 2026)
