BUDAPEST, March 11. /TASS/. Oil supplies to Hungary from Russia have been suspended due to an attack by Ukrainian military forces on the Druzhba pipeline, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said following a telephone conversation with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak.
"Oil transportation to Hungary was temporarily suspended as a Ukrainian drone attacked one of measuring stations of the Druzhba pipeline," he said in a video address broadcast by the M1 TV channel. According to Szijjarto, Novak told him over the phone that "oil transportation is impossible for now, though repairs are already underway, and transit to Hungary could be resumed by the end of this day unless anything extraordinary occurs."
Hungary considers the Ukrainian army’s drone attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline or any other energy infrastructure used for delivering supplies from Russia to Europe unacceptable, Szijjarto noted.
Consequently, Hungary’s government regards such actions as a threat to its energy sovereignty, the minister added. "Without the Druzhba oil pipeline, delivering oil to Hungary and Slovakia will become physically and practically impossible," he stated.
Hungary has repeatedly raised this issue in Brussels, and the European Commission has given assurances regarding its energy security, Szijjarto said. "Unfortunately, this is already the second case of the European Commission failing to uphold its guarantees," he stressed. Previously, the Ukrainian armed forces attacked a measuring station of the TurkStream gas pipeline with a drone.
"We urge Ukrainians not to attack Hungary’s energy infrastructure. Energy supplies to Hungary are an issue of sovereignty, and we expect that this will be respected by all," the minister concluded.