Zelenskiy says Druzhba pipeline repairs will take time

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine[Country:{ "assets":{ "country":"UA" } }] stated on Wednesday that repairs to the Druzhba pipeline, which facilitates the transport of oil from Russia[Country:{ "assets":{ "country":"RU" } }] to Eastern Europe, cannot be completed rapidly. This comes despite pressure from the European Union and vocal protests from Hungary[Country:{ "assets":{ "country":"HU" } }]. Oil shipments to both Hungary and Slovakia[Country:{ "assets":{ "country":"SK" } }] have been suspended since late January following a Russian strike on pipeline infrastructure in western Ukraine. While neighboring nations have blamed Kyiv for the delay, Zelenskiy emphasized the severity of the damage. > "Firstly, it's not that fast," Zelenskiy told reporters, noting that repeated strikes have targeted the energy sector and destroyed the link between the Black Sea port of Odesa and the Druzhba system. During a visit to Kyiv, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urged for a faster repair timeline. Zelenskiy responded by highlighting that Ukrainian workers have already sustained injuries while attempting to keep the system operational under fire. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has characterized the outage as a deliberate political move, accusing the Ukrainian government of implementing an "oil blockade." Orban, who maintains ties with Moscow and opposes weapons shipments to Kyiv, suggested that Ukraine is preparing further actions against his country. The situation is exacerbated by intensified Russian attacks on power plants and gas infrastructure, leading to significant energy shortages. In response, Hungary and Slovakia have threatened to stop emergency electricity exports to Ukraine. Earlier this month, the United States[Country:{ "assets":{ "country":"US" } }] reportedly intervened, with President Donald Trump requesting a temporary pause in attacks. Zelenskiy suggested that if Hungary wants energy security, they should appeal directly to Moscow for a truce. Meanwhile, the national energy firm Naftogaz reported that 60 Russian drones targeted facilities in the north and east of the country over the last two days, specifically hitting gas storage and production sites in the Kharkiv and Chernihiv regions.