A bitter dispute pitting Hungary and Slovakia against Ukraine is holding up a crucial €90bn (£77.95bn) EU loan to Ukraine. No oil has flowed through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia across Ukraine, since the major oil hub at Brody, in western Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack on 27 January. While Ukraine argues that it will need six more weeks to repair the damage and restore the oil flow, Budapest accuses Kyiv of stalling, as revenge for Hungary's pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian position.
The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022. The Brody pumping station in Ukraine's western Lviv region is crucially important for the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part—a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurized and functioning. The photos appear to show the tank smoldering after the attack and suggest that a fire raged there for days. This is the biggest oil tank in Ukraine, with a capacity of 75,000 cu.m.
Ukrainian energy expert Henadiy Ryabtsev says damage caused to the pumping station at Brody is severe, and is possibly not just limited to the oil tank. The oil was on fire for about a week, which means that during that time everything around it was affected by the high temperature, he told the BBC. President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier signalled reluctance to repair the pipeline, stating that he wouldn't restore it because it involves Russian oil. To speed up the repairs, the EU has offered Ukraine technical support and funding.
The situation remains tense, as Hungary begins receiving non-Russian seaborne Brent crude, but faces challenges in refining it due to existing infrastructure constraints.
The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022. The Brody pumping station in Ukraine's western Lviv region is crucially important for the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.
Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part—a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurized and functioning. The photos appear to show the tank smoldering after the attack and suggest that a fire raged there for days. This is the biggest oil tank in Ukraine, with a capacity of 75,000 cu.m.
Ukrainian energy expert Henadiy Ryabtsev says damage caused to the pumping station at Brody is severe, and is possibly not just limited to the oil tank. The oil was on fire for about a week, which means that during that time everything around it was affected by the high temperature, he told the BBC. President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier signalled reluctance to repair the pipeline, stating that he wouldn't restore it because it involves Russian oil. To speed up the repairs, the EU has offered Ukraine technical support and funding.
The situation remains tense, as Hungary begins receiving non-Russian seaborne Brent crude, but faces challenges in refining it due to existing infrastructure constraints.
