Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian workers suffered injuries while repairing the Druzhba pipeline after Russian attacks. However, Budapest and Bratislava did not condemn the strikes. Zelenskyy also responded to remarks from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claiming the pipeline sustained no damage.
He made the remarks while answering journalists’ questions, reports Ukrinform.
Details
Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine quickly restored the pipeline after the first strike. Yet neither Budapest nor Bratislava publicly called on Russia to stop its attacks. Instead, both capitals emphasized the need to secure energy supplies for Hungary and Slovakia.
The president stressed that Ukrainian citizens were injured during repeated attacks and repair work. He added that he heard no words of sympathy or gratitude from Orban or Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Zelenskyy also addressed Orban’s claim that satellite images allegedly show no damage. He explained that satellites can only reveal surface tanks. One tank suffered destruction, but satellites cannot assess the condition of the underground pipeline or control systems.
The president emphasized that Ukraine does not want to resume Russian oil transit because it allows Russia to finance its war. He reminded that Hungary and partly Slovakia block the EU’s 20th sanctions package, the €90 billion loan for Ukraine, and progress in EU accession talks yet demand the pipeline restart.
Context
The Druzhba pipeline sustained damage from Russian strikes on infrastructure in the Lviv region. Afterward, Budapest and Bratislava warned they might cut electricity and diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine if Russian oil transit does not resume.
Ukraine proposed an alternative route via the Odessa–Brody pipeline, but the Druzhba issue remains a source of political tension between Kyiv and certain EU countries.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Viktor Orban claimed a supposed “Ukrainian threat” to Hungary’s energy system and ordered troops to guard energy infrastructure facilities.
