Ukraine to finish Druzhba oil pipeline repairs this spring
President Zelenskiy confirmed that repairs to the Druzhba pipeline will be completed this spring. The work follows a dispute with Hungary over oil supplies.
Ukraine has made significant progress in restoring the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline and expects to finalize repairs this spring, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced on Friday. The critical infrastructure, which facilitates the flow of crude from Russia to Central Europe, has been offline since late January following a drone strike in western Ukraine. The disruption has sparked a diplomatic row with Hungary and Slovakia, both of which rely heavily on the pipeline for their energy needs. > We will complete the repairs because that is the agreement. Zelenskiy noted that while much of the work is underway, the destruction of storage tanks complicates the timeline as they cannot be replaced quickly. The delay has led the Hungarian government to block a 90-billion-euro loan from the European Union intended for Kyiv. This tension comes at a sensitive time for Budapest, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban facing a tight parliamentary election on Sunday against the rising Tisza party. Industry experts suggest that a full restoration of services is most likely to occur within the month of April.
