Russian oil flows back to Slovakia through Druzhba pipeline
Photo: Slovakia has begun receiving Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline (Getty Images)
On the night of April 23, Russian oil shipments to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline resumed after being suspended for nearly three months, according to Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková.
According to her, oil began arriving in Slovakia at 2 a.m.
Sakova says currently, oil is being received according to the agreed-upon plan.
The Ukrainian side was supposed to provide this plan to the Slovak oil transporter Transpetrol on Wednesday, April 22.
Druzhba pipeline repair
In January, a Russian drone damaged a section of the oil pipeline in western Ukraine, causing oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia to be suspended.
Budapest and Bratislava accused Kyiv of delaying the repairs, but the Ukrainian side denied these claims.
Hungary has blocked a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine and a new package of sanctions against Russia.
The loan and sanctions can only be unblocked after oil supplies are restored.
Meanwhile, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico supported the Hungarian position and also threatened to block future loans to Ukraine, although responsibility for the damage to the Druzhba pipeline lies with the Russian side.
In addition, Fico called on the EU to lift sanctions against oil and gas from Russia. He also proposed taking steps to resume supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
On April 21, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the section of the pipeline damaged by Russian shelling had been repaired and was ready for operation.
Yesterday, JSC Ukrtransnafta confirmed the completion of repair work on the Ukrainian section of Druzhba and the lifting of the force majeure.
The company announced its readiness to resume crude oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia.
Later, Ukraine resumed oil pumping through the Druzhba pipeline.
Also, yesterday evening, Hungary announced that oil transit via Druzhba had resumed after a long hiatus, with the first shipments expected to arrive in the near future.
The process of lifting the blockade is currently underway. EU ambassadors have already preliminarily agreed on a €90 billion loan and the parameters of a new sanctions package. A final decision is expected today, April 23.
