Hungary’s Russian oil imports were suspended temporarily on Tuesday after Ukraine launched massive drone attacks on Moscow, leading Budapest to call on Kyiv to refrain from attacking energy infrastructure that serves Hungary.
In a report by Politico, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, in a video address, confirmed that oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline were halted because of the damage inflicted by the attacks. He explained that a drone attack had destroyed a measuring station, rendering deliveries impossible for the moment. Nevertheless, he went on to say that Russia’s deputy energy minister informed him that repairs were being done and shipments would be possible later in the day unless unexpected complications were encountered.
Szijjarto urged Ukraine not to attack critical energy infrastructure, pointing out that Hungary is still dependent on the pipeline for fuel supply. Ukraine’s military forces, in the meantime, reported that they had attacked a number of strategic Russian facilities backing Moscow’s military campaigns.
The disruption comes after a September agreement permitting Hungary to keep buying Russian oil even after Ukraine imposed sanctions on a major supplier. In the agreement, as soon as the fuel is inside Ukrainian territory, it is considered Hungarian, allowing it to be transited.
Hungary has utilized an EU exception to the bloc’s Russian oil embargo to expand crude imports on land at cheaper prices. Budapest has also resolutely fought against EU moves to reduce dependence on Russian energy.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last week vetoed a draft joint declaration by European leaders that would subject Moscow to harsher sanctions and show support for Ukraine.
Since Hungary is among Russia’s scant allies in the EU, the recent incident points to the geopolitics involved in energy security amidst the war.
