Oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia ceased on Jan. 27. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha published photographs of burning pipeline equipment, blaming Russian drone damage to infrastructure in the Lviv region. Budapest immediately disputed this explanation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of a deliberate political shutdown, asserting that available reports showed the pipeline remained technically operational.
“There is no technical obstacle preventing the Ukrainians from restarting oil transit,” Szijjártó claimed, insisting Ukraine wanted Hungary “to enter the elections with a fuel price of HUF 1,000, helping the Tisza party.”
At a government press briefing on Feb. 19, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office Gergely Gulyás characterized Ukraine’s decision as “unacceptable and intolerable,” and announced that Hungary had released strategic crude oil reserves sufficient for three months.
In addition to ordering MOL to secure 500,000 tonnes of Russian crude via Croatia’s Adria pipeline, the government simultaneously halted diesel exports to Ukraine, representing roughly 10% of Kyiv’s total fuel imports, with Gulyás confirming that Budapest was examining a further suspension of electricity and natural gas deliveries to Ukraine.
Slovakia declared an oil emergency on the same day, allocating 250,000 tonnes from state reserves to the Slovnaft refinery. Prime Minister Robert Fico had accused Ukraine of “political blackmail” three days earlier, claiming Kyiv intentionally delayed repairs to pressure Budapest and Bratislava.
He warned Slovakia would also halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless oil transit resumed. Hungary and Slovakia together provide approximately 68% of Ukraine’s electricity imports.
Ukraine rejected Hungarian accusations as “unfounded and irresponsible,” maintaining the disruption resulted from Russian strikes damaging critical infrastructure and that repairs were being hindered by continued aggression, an explanation that has been endorsed by the European Commission.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi characterized Hungary and Slovakia’s Russian oil dependence as an “addiction,” saying they were trying “to stay on this needle as long as possible.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called Hungarian and Slovak electricity cutoff threats “blackmail” and urged “constructive cooperation and responsible behavior.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán addressed the pipeline shutdown during a press conference in Washington following the inaugural meeting of President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
“Those who shut down the Druzhba pipeline are the ones who blew up Nord Stream,” Orbán asserted, linking Ukraine’s actions to what he characterized as a broader pattern of hostile intervention. He emphasized that, under Article 275 of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, Ukrainian actions must not endanger member states’ energy security, and demanded Brussels summon Ukraine over the alleged breach.
“Two EU member states have been put at risk because of their decision,” Orbán insisted. The following day, at an anti-war rally in Békéscsaba, Orbán continued his argument.
“Ukraine seeks to create chaos, but Hungary cannot be blackmailed,” he said, describing the suspended deliveries as an “energy weapon.” He outlined Hungary’s countermeasures and noted that Hungary supplies significant electricity to Ukraine, suggesting further retaliation remained possible. “Whoever bites us will break their teeth,” Orbán stated.
Opening the spring parliamentary session on Feb. 22, Orbán placed the pipeline shutdown at the center of his address, charging that “Brussels and Kyiv have joined forces to pressure Hungary 50 days before the election.”
He described Ukraine’s Jan. 27 decision as “unprecedented in Hungary’s history” and “open political blackmail,” arguing that as long as a national government leads Hungary, Brussels and Kyiv cannot detach the country from Russian energy or advance Ukraine’s EU membership. According to Orbán, the coordinated pressure aimed to force a government change that would support these objectives.
The government formalized its response the following day. On Feb. 23, Szijjártó announced at an EU Council of Foreign Ministers meeting that Hungary would block both the EUR 90 bln loan package previously approved for Ukraine and the European Union’s 20th sanctions package against Russia until oil transit resumes.
“The Ukrainians cannot blackmail us, they cannot jeopardize the security of Hungary’s energy supply by conspiring with Brussels and the Hungarian opposition,” Szijjártó told reporters.
Overnight on Feb. 23, Ukrainian drones struck the Kaleykino oil pumping station near Almetyevsk in Russia’s Tatarstan region, a critical Druzhba network transit point located 1,200 km from the Ukrainian border.
The Security Service of Ukraine operation of 35-plus aircraft flew through Russian airspace to hit pump lines and crude oil storage reservoirs. The attack, which Hungarian analysts suggested was specifically targeted to threaten Budapest’s energy security ahead of the April election, represented Ukraine’s response to Hungary’s veto.
On Feb. 24, Ukraine informed Slovakia’s pipeline operator, Transpetrol, that oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline would restart on Feb. 26, pushing the expected date back from Feb. 25.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of February 27, 2026.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
