Orbán's office confirms ban on Madyar Brovdi linked to Druzhba pipeline attacks

According to Balázs Orbán, political director to the Hungarian prime minister, the matter concerns Robert Brovdi, commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces.

Earlier, Brovdi's name did not appear in official statements by Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó or by Orbán himself, where he was referred to only as "the Ukrainian commander of the military unit responsible for attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline."

Robert Brovdi, who has Hungarian roots and is originally from Zakarpattia, took command of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine this summer.

He is known for his activity on social media, where he repeatedly published the slogan "Russians – go home!" His unit is called Madyar's Birds.

Brovdi is also a Hero of Ukraine and a recipient of the Gold Star order. The Hungarian authorities officially explain the travel ban by citing Ukrainian drone strikes on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to EU countries, including Hungary.

Today, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that a Ukrainian military commander who directed the strike on the Druzhba oil pipeline was banned from entering Hungary and Schengen countries.

However, he did not name the serviceman.

Strikes on Druzhba

The Druzhba oil pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to the EU, including Hungary, has repeatedly been targeted by Ukrainian drones.

On August 18, after a strike on the Nikolskoye station in Russia's Tambov region, oil supplies to Hungary were halted for almost two days. Flows were restored only on the evening of August 20, but already the next day Druzhba was again put out of service by another strike.

What goals Kyiv is pursuing and how Hungary, an importer of Russian oil, reacts to the strikes on Druzhba — read in the RBC-Ukraine report.