Slovakia Left Without Russian Oil After Strike On Druzhba Pipeline

• 13.02.2026, 20:12

The oil pipeline passes through Belarus.

Slovakia said it has stopped supplying oil through the Druzhba pipeline damaged by a Russian airstrike in Ukraine on January 27. The republic's Economy Ministry told Bloomberg that the situation does not threaten its energy security: strategic reserves of raw materials and oil products will suffice for about 90 days. Slovakia expects to resume pumping in the coming days, the ministry added.

On the eve, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiga said Hungary was also preparing to complain about problems with Russian oil transit, and posted a photo of burning pipeline infrastructure after the January 27 attack to quell possible accusations against Kiev. Slovakia and Hungary did not receive oil from Russia in February, an agency source familiar with the situation said. According to him, deliveries via Druzhba to these countries dropped to 150,000 barrels per day in January. In January-February 2022-2025, the average daily figure was 200,000 barrels.

Slovakia and Hungary still rely on Druzhba supplies, remaining the only EU countries that continue to purchase Russian oil. The EU made a final decision in January to also completely stop importing Russian gas, which Hungary and Slovakia still receive, through 2027. They challenged the decision in court.

The Druzhba oil pipeline starts in Almetyevsk, passes through Bryansk and then divides into a northern direction (through Belarus to Poland and Germany) and a southern direction (through Ukraine to Slovakia and Hungary). Russian oil supplies to Poland and Germany stopped in 2023 due to sanctions. The latter now receives oil through the northern branch of the pipeline from Kazakhstan. Before the war in Ukraine, Russia supplied Europe with about 720,000 barrels of crude oil daily via Druzhba.