Druzhba pipeline refilling begins, oil flows expected within 24 hours

“According to Ukrtransnafta, pressure increase and filling of the Druzhba oil pipeline on the Ukrainian side from Belarus began this morning,” she wrote.

Oil transit and supplies to Slovakia are expected to resume tomorrow morning, April 23.

Updated at 01:45 p.m.

Hungarian company MOL also reported that it had received a signal from Ukrtransnafta about the resumption of oil transit.

According to the company, the inflow of crude oil from Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline began today at noon on the Ukrainian section. MOL expects that the first shipments after the restart will reach Hungary and Slovakia no later than tomorrow.

RBC-Ukraine's sources confirm that transit resumed at 12:35 p.m. local time, with oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline officially restarted.

Druzhba and the EU loan

As previously reported, at the end of 2025, EU leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan. However, the launch of the funding was blocked by Hungary.

After the Druzhba pipeline was damaged by Russia, Budapest began blocking the decision, accusing Ukraine of halting Russian oil transit.

At the time, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he would not support the loan until supplies via this route were restored.

The situation later began to shift. On April 19, Orbán said that Ukraine was ready to resume oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline, provided the EU unblocked the funding.

On April 21, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the section of the pipeline damaged by Russian shelling had been repaired and was ready for operation.

Today, Ukrtransnafta confirmed the completion of repair works on the Ukrainian section of Druzhba and the cancellation of force majeure.

The company also announced its readiness to resume crude oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia.