A Russian missile turned a Ukrainian pipeline into a political bargaining chip. Ukraine has now accepted EU technical support to repair the Druzhba pipeline, damaged in a January strike. Fix it, Brussels told Kyiv, and Hungary loses its excuse to block a €90bn loan. The clock is ticking: six weeks to repair, and the stakes go well beyond oil.
On 27 January, a Russian missile struck the Druzhba pipeline on Ukrainian territory, damaging the Brody pumping station and cutting off crude oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia. Without the station, maintaining the pressure needed to pump oil safely through the system is technically impossible.
Ukraine has now accepted the EU’s offer of technical support and funding. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the decision in a letter to Presidents Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission and António Costa of the EU Council on 17 March. He dismissed allegations of deliberate obstruction as “unfounded.” The bypass solution is nearing completion. The pumping station should be back online within six weeks — barring further Russian attacks.
A loan held hostage
Hungary has blocked both the €90bn Ukraine Support Loan and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Budapest’s stated condition: restore Druzhba first. The EU insists the two issues are separate. All 27 member states committed to the loan at European Council level — Brussels expects that commitment honoured, no additional conditions attached.
The pipeline has been shut down around 22 times since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Each time, Ukraine repairs; Russia strikes again. The Commission’s longer-term answer is a full phase-out of Russian oil imports by the end of 2027, under the REPowerEU roadmap.
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“Allegations that Ukraine is deliberately obstructing oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline are unfounded,” Mr Zelenskyy wrote in his letter to Ms von der Leyen and Mr Costa, insisting the disruption was caused solely by Russian attacks on pipeline infrastructure.
Monday’s joint statement contained a revealing slip. An early version explicitly linked the pipeline repair to unblocking the loan and the sanctions package. That sentence was quietly removed. When asked why, the Commission spokesperson declined to explain.
Allegations that Ukraine is deliberately obstructing oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline are unfounded. — Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine
EU experts are ready to travel to Ukraine immediately. Progress on the loan could come before the next European Council, the Commission expressed cautious hope. Budapest, for now, is not moving.
