Hungary, Slovakia say Ukraine resumed Druzhba transit, deliveries expected by April 23

Prefer on Google by Martin Fornusek, The Kyiv Independent news desk A stone commemorates the Friendship 2 crude oil pipeline in the Duna oil refinery on May 24, 2022, in Szazhalombatta, Hungary. (Janos Kummer/Getty Images) Bratislava and Budapest said that Ukraine resumed receiving crude via the Druzhba pipeline on April 22, with the first deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia expected by the following day. The move could clear the way for the EU's 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan to Kyiv, which Budapest blocked over the suspension of transit. The pipeline, used to funnel Russian crude to Slovakia and Hungary, went offline in late January after being damaged in a Russian attack. Budapest and Bratislava accused Kyiv of deliberately withholding transit. The news comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on April 21 that the necessary repair work has been completed and the pipeline is ready to resume operations. Mol , Hungary's largest energy company, said it was informed by Ukraine's state-owned Ukrtransnafta that "the receipt of crude oil from Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline system began in Ukraine at noon today." This was also confirmed by Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova, who said that deliveries to Slovakia should resume by the morning of April 23. Ukraine has not yet commented on the resumption of operations. A Naftogaz representative declined to comment. The final step for the 90-billion-euro loan's disbursment is on the agenda of an EU meeting later on April 22, a spokesperson for the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council previously said. The loan is a crucial lifeline for cash-strapped Ukraine amid Russia's invasion, intended to help cover the country's financial needs in 2026–2027, with two-thirds allocated to defense and the remainder to budgetary support. The disbursement is scheduled to begin between late May and early June. Hungary and Slovakia, both landlocked, were the only EU members still receiving Russian crude via the pipeline's southern branch before the disruption. The route accounts for roughly 86–92% of Hungary's oil imports and nearly all of Slovakia's supply. The Hungarian energy company Mol has already submitted requests for first transit volumes, to be equally distributed between Hungary and Slovakia, Reuters reported, citing an undisclosed source. Outgoing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban , who was seen as the EU's most Kremlin-friendly leader, centered his reelection campaign on accusations that Ukraine engaged in "energy blackmail." Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar said that Bratislava is also ready to approve the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which has been blocked due to the dispute, but "only once Russian oil arrives in Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline."