What's the Druzhba pipeline controversy that's causing fissures within the EU over Ukraine
Kiev argues that continued Russian oil flows undermine efforts to cut off funding for Moscow's war machine.
Four years on since the Ukraine war started, European leaders stand divided on how to deal with the crisis on their eastern border. There's no better example to understand this than the controversy over the Druzhba oil pipeline.
But first, the latest.
Ukraine has escalated the energy standoff with Hungary and Slovakia by striking a critical section of Russia's Druzhba oil pipeline system deep inside Russian territory.
According to The Kyiv Post, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Kaleykino oil pumping station near Almetyevsk in Russia's Tatarstan region early on Monday, igniting fires and shutting down a key transit point in the Druzhba pipeline network.
Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the attack in a Telegram post, calling Kaleykino one of Russia's "key oil pumping stations".
Russia's defence ministry acknowledged engaging "enemy drones" over Tatarstan but did not comment on reported damage. Regional news outlet RT-Respublika Tatarstan said emergency services had the situation under control.
The strike came just hours after Budapest threatened to block a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan to Ukraine and halt electricity exports unless oil transit through Druzhba resumes — a move that has sharpened tensions within the European Union.
Why Druzhba pipeline matters
The Druzhba pipeline — Russian for "Friendship" — is one of the world's largest oil pipeline systems.
Druzhba stretches roughly 4,000 kilometres from Samara in Russia to multiple European destinations, including Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
Operated by Russia's state pipeline monopoly Transneft, it has a capacity to transport about 1.2 million barrels per day.
Commissioned in 1964 during the Soviet era, the pipeline became a backbone of energy integration in Eastern Europe and remains a crucial oil supply source for Hungary and Slovakia — now the only EU countries still importing Russian crude through the pipeline.
Hungary receives an estimated 80-90 percent of its crude imports via Druzhba, according to energy industry estimates cited by The Kyiv Post.
For Budapest and Bratislava, however, the disruptions in supplies are not symbolic as they hit directly at their energy security and impact domestic fuel prices.
How the dispute began
Russian oil shipments via Druzhba were halted on January 27 after damage to pipeline infrastructure on Ukrainian territory.
Kiev blamed a Russian drone strike for the disruption in the Lviv region. But soon after that attack, Hungary and Slovakia accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs for political leverage.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on February 15 that Ukraine was using the pipeline as "political blackmail".
While Hungary and Slovakia rely on Kiev for the oil supply, they in turn account for 68 percent of Ukraine's electricity imports, according to Kiev-based consultancy ExPro.
Fico has ordered a halt to emergency electricity deliveries to Ukraine, after warning that Slovakia's grid operator SEPS would suspend support if oil transit was not restored.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, meanwhile, accused Kiev of undermining Hungary's energy security and threatened to veto the $106 billion EU loan package for Ukraine.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto alleged Ukraine was coordinating with Brussels and Hungary's opposition to drive up fuel prices ahead of elections.
In response to the oil transit halt, Hungary and Slovakia also suspended diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine.
EU's balancing act
The controversy has exposed the EU's internal fault lines.
A European Commission spokesperson, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, confirmed on February 17 that Brussels was in contact with Kiev regarding repairs of the damaged pipeline, according to Radio Free Europe.
She said there were "no short-term risks to security of supply for Hungary and Slovakia", noting both countries hold around 90 days of reserve stocks for oil.
On February 20, Itkonen said the Commission would welcome the pipeline's reactivation but stressed the decision rests with Ukraine due to ongoing security risks from Russian attacks.
The EU's Ad Hoc Oil Coordination Group is set to assess alternative supply routes.
Hungary and Slovakia have, in the meantime, sought alternatives, including deliveries via Croatia's Adria pipeline, but Croatian officials have reportedly declined to facilitate Russian oil transit, The Kyiv Independent reported.