Overview
- Oil transit via Ukraine’s Druzhba pipeline has been stopped since January 27 after what Ukraine says was a Russian strike near Brody.
- Industry sources report the pipeline section is technically ready, yet Ukrtransnafta has not authorized a restart, a claim Ukraine has not publicly clarified.
- Hungary and Slovakia accuse Ukraine of a politically motivated hold on flows, and the Kremlin endorsed Slovakia’s ‘blackmail’ characterization.
- Budapest and Bratislava asked Croatia to move Russian crude via the Adria pipeline, with Croatia’s economy minister signaling conditional readiness under EU and OFAC rules, though some outlets reported a refusal on Feb. 16.
- Hungary’s MOL said, according to TASS, it expects seaborne shipments through Croatia to begin in March and has sought access to strategic reserves, while asserting current fuel supply remains stable.