Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia could be suspended for at least five days after a Ukrainian strike on a facility in Russia, Hungarian and Slovakian officials said on Friday, in a widening of the fallout of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, hitting Ukrainian domestic heating supplies, Russia's Druzhba pipeline and other facilities, over the past few weeks as US President Donald Trump has pushed for a deal to end the conflict.
The European Union reduced energy supplies from Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and is seeking to phase out Russian oil and gas by the end of 2027. EU members Slovakia and Hungary have maintained relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed sanctions against Russia.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban published on Friday a letter he wrote to Trump in which he says that Ukraine attacked Druzhba just days before the US president met Putin in Alaska on August 15. Orban called the attack a "very unfortunate move".
A photocopy of the letter posted by Orban on Facebook showed what appeared to be a handwritten note on it from Trump, saying: "Viktor – I do not like hearing this – I am very angry about it." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Hungarian and Slovak foreign ministers also wrote to the European Commission on Friday saying that the latest Ukrainian attack could leave them without Russian oil imports for at least five days, urging it to guarantee the security of supplies.
The EU says it has invested in energy infrastructure in Croatia that could provide the two countries with alternative supplies.
The Russian energy ministry did not reply to a request for comment but a Russian industry source said the supplies could be halted for a few days.
The Ukrainian strike on Thursday night marked the second time this week that Russian oil supplies have been cut to Hungary and Slovakia, after a halt on Monday and Tuesday.
Ukraine's military said it had again struck the Unecha oil pumping station, a critical part of Russia's Europe-bound oil pipeline.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ