Ukraine alleges successfully disabling Russian oil pipeline

(MENAFN) The commander of Ukraine’s drone forces has claimed that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles successfully disabled a Russian pipeline that transports oil to Hungary and Slovakia, according to reports.

Both Budapest and Bratislava had previously confirmed that deliveries through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which crosses Ukraine, were halted. Russia has yet to acknowledge the attack.

“The Druzhba pipeline is out of service. The flow of oil has been completely halted indefinitely,” Robert Brovdi, head of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, stated on Telegram Monday evening.

He explained that Ukrainian drones targeted the Nikolskoye pumping station in Russia’s Tambov Region, located southwest of Moscow.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned the reported strike as “outrageous and unacceptable,” accusing Ukraine of attempting to “drag Hungary into the war in Ukraine.”

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga responded that Hungary should direct its “complaints” to Russia and criticized Budapest for its continued dependence on Russian energy supplies.

Szijjarto countered by emphasizing that sourcing oil from Russia serves Hungary’s national interest. “As Hungary’s foreign minister, my mandate is clear: Hungary’s interest comes first. Period,” he wrote on X.

Ukraine has frequently targeted energy infrastructure within Russia, including oil depots and refineries. In March, Ukrainian forces struck a gas metering station near Sudzha, previously part of a pipeline supplying the EU.

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