Central Europe on Edge: Hungary and Slovakia Blast Ukraine After Drone Strikes Halt Russian Oil Flows

Central Europe on Edge: Hungary and Slovakia Blast Ukraine After Drone Strikes Halt Russian Oil Flows

Hungary and Slovakia have publicly demanded action from Brussels after a series of Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s Druzhba oil pipeline disrupted crude deliveries to both countries this week, a development that has rekindled anxieties about Europe’s energy security and sharpened political tensions across the continent. 

The incident began with a Ukrainian strike on pumping infrastructure in Russia that operators say feeds the southern arm of the Soviet-era Druzhba system, which supplies crude to Slovakia and Hungary. Officials in both capitals said flows were interrupted on Aug. 18; they were briefly restored, but further strikes later in the week again forced suspensions and prompted urgent diplomatic démarches to the European Commission. Slovak and Hungarian foreign ministries have sent formal complaints to EU institutions, urging guarantees for member states’ energy security.

Budapest reacted angrily. Hungary’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjártó, accused Kyiv of attacking “our energy security” and warned that repeated strikes amounted to an attempt to drag his country into the conflict. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán privately pressed U.S. President Donald Trump over the strikes, Politico reported, a contact that underscored the diplomatic ripple effects of the pipeline disruptions. Bratislava’s officials, for their part, described the attacks as an “unfriendly action” that threatened fuel supplies for industry and consumers. 

The technical target has been identified in Russian reporting as the Unecha (or Unecha/Nikolskoye) pumping station in the Bryansk/Tambov border area — a key node for routing oil westward via the Druzhba southern branch. Kyiv’s unmanned systems forces have at times taken credit for attacks on pipeline infrastructure inside Russia, saying they are part of a campaign to degrade Moscow’s energy-export revenues. Russian regional authorities reported fires at the pumping sites after the latest strikes; independent verification of the full extent of the damage and the expected repair timeline has been limited.

European energy and government officials have scrambled to assess immediate supply and price implications. Hungarian oil giant MOL said regional supplies remained guaranteed, while Slovakia’s economy minister said flows to her country had returned to “normal” at one point — but officials warned that repeated hits could cause multi-day interruptions and localized increases in retail fuel prices. The European Commission has pointed to investments in alternative routes and storage — including infrastructure projects in Croatia — that could help blunt shocks, but analysts say switching supply lines quickly is technically and commercially difficult. 

The political fallout has been swift. Hungary and Slovakia have urged the EU to take concrete measures to protect member states’ energy security and to press Kyiv to desist from strikes that affect third countries. Brussels faces a delicate balancing act: Kyiv argues that targeting Russian export infrastructure is a legitimate way to weaken Moscow’s war-fighting capacity, while EU capitals dependent on Russian crude view the disruptions as an immediate threat to their domestic energy needs and social stability. 

This week’s strikes are part of a broader pattern of Ukraine striking Russian energy infrastructure — a campaign that Kyiv says is calibrated to reduce the Kremlin’s revenues and logistical reach. Critics contend that attacks which spill over to affect European customers risk fracturing Western unity on aid to Kyiv and complicating diplomatic support at a moment when negotiations and security guarantees are under discussion among major powers.

The stakes and the likely short-term outcomes

The Druzhba pipeline’s southern branch remains a crucial lifeline for Hungary and Slovakia. For Hungary, which sources more than half its crude from the pipeline, any sustained interruption would force rapid adjustments: tapping strategic reserves, increasing imports by sea (which requires refinery reconfiguration or access to alternative terminals), or drawing on EU mutual-assistance mechanisms. Slovakia faces similar constraints, albeit with somewhat greater flexibility from regional storage and refinery arrangements. Officials warned on Aug. 22 that disruptions could last several days, with immediate impacts on refinery runs and downstream fuel availability.

Europe’s longer-term energy transition and efforts to diversify away from Russian hydrocarbons have reduced dependence in many member states, but the incidents this month show that pockets of vulnerability remain — especially for land-locked or pipeline-dependent countries. Investment in alternate infrastructure will help over time, but it does not eliminate short-term exposure to attacks on trans-border systems. 

What this could mean politically

Politically, the strikes feed a fractious debate inside the EU: some member states see Kyiv’s campaign as a necessary pressure applied to Moscow; others view it as an unacceptable externality that risks civilian hardship in third countries. That divergence could sharpen calls from Budapest and Bratislava for the EU to seek a quick political solution that prioritises members’ energy needs — a demand that might put pressure on Brussels to accelerate infrastructure funding or negotiate corridors of immunity for energy transit. 

The episode also risks becoming fodder for those in Europe who argue for a more accommodationist line toward Moscow or who question the costs of continued alignment behind Kyiv. Hungary’s vocal criticism, and its outreach to allied capitals, will be watched closely in EU capitals as a test of whether national grievances over energy security can translate into concrete policy shifts or exemptions. 

What to watch next

Official technical updates on repair timelines from Russian pipeline operator Transneft and statements from Hungarian and Slovak oil companies about reserve draws and import arrangements. 

Any formal European Commission responses to the joint letters from Budapest and Bratislava, including emergency measures to re-route supplies or release strategic reserves. 

Diplomatic exchanges between Kyiv and affected EU capitals; whether Ukraine modifies tactics that risk allied supply lines if pressed diplomatically.