BUDAPEST, August 22. /TASS/. Hungary and Slovakia are calling on the European Commission (EC) to force Ukraine to stop attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which carries oil from Russia to Europe, according to a letter from foreign ministers of the two countries, Peter Szijjarto and Juraj Blanar, to Brussels in connection with another attack by the Ukrainian army on the infrastructure of the oil pipeline on Russian territory.
"Without this pipeline, the safe supply of our countries [with oil] is simply not possible," the ministers said. Oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia from Russia may be suspended for at least five days as a result of a new attack by the Ukrainian army on the Druzhba infrastructure that occurred on the night of August 22, they added. Szijjarto and Blanar called on the European Commission to guarantee security of supplies, Reuters reported after seeing the letter received in Brussels.
Szijjarto said earlier on Friday that the Druzhba oil pipeline had been attacked again by the Ukrainian armed forces, after which oil supplies from Russia to Hungary were suspended. The attack was on the pipeline infrastructure on the Russian-Belarusian border, he said, adding that it was the third one in a short period of time. There were also reports from Slovakia about the halt in supplies of raw materials.
Earlier this week, Ukraine launched drone strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, causing damage that required repairs by Russian specialists. Oil supplies to Hungary were interrupted for two days. Szijjarto was in contact with Russia's First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin on the issue. Hungary described Ukraine's actions as outrageous and unacceptable, making it clear that it could stop exporting electricity to that country.