BUDAPEST, February 13. /TASS/. Russian oil supplies to Slovakia through the Druzhba oil pipeline have been suspended, Bloomberg reported, citing the Economy Ministry of the country. Earlier Hungarian media reported disruptions in crude oil transportation through the pipeline running through Ukrainian territory.
TASS has compiled the main information on the situation.
Ukraine blocked supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary to create difficulties for the Hungarian government ahead of parliamentary elections, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto said following reports in Hungarian media about the pipeline's oil flows being blocked from going through Ukrainian territory.
Russian oil supplies to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline have been suspended, Bloomberg reported, citing the republic's Economy Ministry.
Statements from Hungary and Slovakia
- Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto said that Ukraine had blocked supplies of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary to create difficulties for the government ahead of parliamentary elections. He noted that the Ukrainian authorities hope to give a leg up to the Hungarian opposition party Tisza, which seeks to take over power from the ruling party Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union.
The minister called Kiev's actions gross interference in the elections and assured that even if Ukraine does not allow oil supplies to Hungary to resume via the Druzhba pipeline, the government will guarantee the security of energy supplies for all consumers.
- Russian oil supplies to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline have been suspended, Bloomberg reported, citing the country's Economy Ministry. As the ministry noted, Slovakia has 90 days worth of strategic reserves of oil and petroleum products.
The Slovakian Economy Ministry of expects oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline to resume in the coming days. According to the ministry, the situation does not pose a threat to the republic's energy security.
According to Bloomberg, oil has not been delivered to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline since early February. A significant reduction in supply volumes occurred already in January.
Kremlin statement
- Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he didn't have all the facts about the halt in oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
Ukraine's actions
- The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Hungarian ambassador in Kiev to demand an explanation regarding Prime Minister Viktor Orban's recent statement that Ukraine is an enemy of Hungary because it is blocking Russian energy supplies, Szijjarto said noting that his government will not change its position.
- Ukrtransnafta, which provides oil transit through Ukrainian territory, is technically ready to resume oil transportation via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia, but the company's management is not giving permission for the resumption of deliveries, several sources in the oil industry told TASS. According to the sources, the Ukrainian company completed the liquidation to the emergency situation at the Brody linear production and control station in Ukraine on February 6.
At the end of January, at the request of the Ukrainian side, oil transportation via the Mozyr-Brody main oil pipeline towards Hungary and Slovakia was suspended, but the exact reason for the shutdown is unknown.
About the pipeline
The Druzhba oil pipeline supplies oil to Belarusian refineries and transits it to Europe.
The pipeline starts in Russia’s Samara region, passes through Bryansk, and then branches into two sections: northern and southern.
Hungary and Slovakia receive oil directly via the southern branch.
Through Hungary oil goes further on to Serbia.