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Hungary threatened to cut electricity to Ukraine after blaming Kyiv for an attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which carries Russian crude to Europe, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Monday.
“Ukraine attacked the oil pipeline to Hungary again, causing a halt in our oil supply. This is a vile and unacceptable attack on our energy security,” Szijjarto said, adding that he had spoken with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin and that Russian specialists were working to restore the affected transformer station. He did not provide a timeline for resuming oil shipments.
Szijjarto accused Brussels and Kyiv of trying to draw Hungary into the war in Ukraine.
“Let me be clear: this war is not ours. As long as we are in power, Hungary will stay out of it. I also want to warn Ukrainian decision-makers: electricity supplied from Hungary plays a vital role in your country’s energy needs,” he said.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, through Andrii Sybiha, avoided confirming or denying the claim.
Sybiha said Hungary should raise complaints with Moscow rather than Kyiv. In a social media statement, he said, “This war was started by Russia, not Ukraine. Hungary has been told for years that Russia is an unreliable partner, yet it continues to rely on Moscow.”
Hungary imports most of its crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Belarus and Ukraine and also supplies Slovakia.
Szijjarto had previously said the Druzhba pipeline would remain Hungary’s main source of crude oil imports.
The latest disruption comes after Ukraine struck a Russian pumping station in Bryansk with drones on Aug. 13.
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