MOL Group confirmed that the first crude oil shipments have arrived in Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, marking the restart of deliveries after a shutdown lasting nearly three months.
According to the company’s statement, crude was received at the Fényeslitke and Budkovce pumping stations, signalling the resumption of flows through the pipeline system to both countries.
The restart follows confirmation from Ukraine’s pipeline operator, JSC Ukrtransnafta, that repairs had been completed and force majeure conditions were lifted on 21 April.
The disruption, which began in late January, forced the MOL Group to rely on strategic reserves and alternative supply routes. In February, the company requested the release of emergency oil stocks from the Hungarian Ministry of Energy to maintain regional supply security, while also arranging maritime deliveries to its refineries.
Earlier Ukrainian reports attributed the pipeline damage to a Russian drone strike, with the extended repair timeline linked to the complexity of the necessary works. MOL CEO Zsolt Hernádi had noted that similar disruptions have occurred multiple times during the war, though typically lasting only a few days.
The prolonged outage escalated into a political dispute. Hungary and Slovakia questioned the technical nature of the shutdown, suggesting it may have been used as leverage, and called for intervention from the European Union.
Both countries also tied their support for the €90 billion EU financial package for Ukraine to the restoration of oil flows. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later confirmed that repairs were complete but linked the pipeline’s reopening to the approval of the aid package.
On Thursday, the Council of the European Union approved the €90 billion loan to Ukraine through a written procedure, effectively clearing the way for both financial support and the continued operation of the pipeline.
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