Druzhba Pipeline Repaired After Russian Strikes, Restoring Oil Flows to Hungary and Slovakia

Ukraine has repaired the Druzhba oil pipeline, damaged in Russian strikes, and resumed Russian oil flows to Hungary and Slovakia, clearing the final obstacle to a €90 billion EU loan for Kyiv. The repair, completed on Tuesday, addresses damage to an oil hub on the pipeline from late January strikes, as confirmed by satellite images showing substantial harm to a major oil tank at Brody in western Ukraine.

Oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline into Hungary and Slovakia were halted at the end of January, prompting Hungary's Viktor Orbán to veto the €90 billion EU loan payment in February over the disrupted Russian oil supplies.

Hungary's energy firm MOL stated that Ukrainian partners informed it Russian oil supplies would start flowing again through the Druzhba pipeline on Wednesday to Hungary and Slovakia for the first time since 27 January. Ukraine's Druzhba pipeline operator is ready to resume oil transit to Hungary and Slovakia after repairs following a Russian attack, according to MOL.

The €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine was agreed upon last December but held up in a row over Russian oil supplies to Hungary.

Two-thirds of the €90 billion EU funding will be spent on bolstering Ukraine's defence needs, with the rest going toward broader financial assistance. European Union ambassadors are meeting in Cyprus, with expectations for positive decisions on the loan. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said ahead of the ambassadors' meeting: 'We expect some positive decisions...

' Viktor Orbán, who has been Hungarian prime minister for 16 years, suffered an election defeat last Sunday. ' Hungary's next leader is Péter Magyar, who has prioritised a reset in Hungary's relations with Brussels. Ukraine says the Druzhba pipeline has been repaired, and Kyiv repaired the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline on Tuesday.

The repair of the Druzhba pipeline clears the last obstacle to a €90 billion EU loan.