Ukraine is still assessing the significant damage caused by Russian drones to a key facility of the Druzhba oil pipeline, "which means that the problem that thwarted European Union aid to Kyiv and sanctions against Moscow will probably drag on," Bloomberg reports, writes UNN.
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"Last month's attack caused a fire in a storage tank that took 10 days to extinguish and damaged numerous pieces of equipment, power cables, transformers, and a leak detection system responsible for sealing the pipeline," Serhiy Koretskyi, CEO of Ukraine's state energy company Naftogaz, said in an interview. "Given the scale of the destruction, a full assessment will take time and is expected to be ready soon," he added.
The interruption of Russian oil transportation via Druzhba to Hungary and Slovakia prompted both countries to accuse Ukraine of withholding supplies, denying the damage. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said he would block vital support for Ukraine, including a €90 billion ($106 billion) EU loan, until transit was restored. Slovakia announced the suspension of emergency electricity supplies to the country. The two countries, which maintain close ties with the Kremlin, also blocked the latest EU sanctions package against Moscow, the publication writes.
Hungary's blocking of aid angered other EU capitals, as they accused Budapest of violating the principle of sincere cooperation, sources familiar with the matter said.
At a meeting of EU envoys in Brussels this week, some countries floated the idea of a fact-finding mission on the ground to break the deadlock, as Ukraine urgently needs the blocked funds, sources added. On Thursday, Orbán stated in a letter to the President of the European Council that he supported "the idea of a fact-finding mission" involving delegates from Hungary and Slovakia. On Friday, he said in a video post that both countries were calling for such a mission.
Ukraine is battling relentless Russian attacks on the country's energy infrastructure, which have left millions without electricity and heating in the middle of winter. Energy companies from across the country have been forced to send their repair crews to Kyiv to help restore power and heating. Naftogaz has also been forced to deploy its engineers, Koretskyi said. Work on the pipeline was also complicated by low temperatures, which dropped to -20°C in January and earlier this month, the publication writes.
The Druzhba oil pipeline, the publication notes, was damaged after Russian forces launched a drone attack on January 27, a Ukrainian military official said on condition of anonymity, citing security concerns. Although some drones were shot down as they approached the site, several reached their target, causing a massive fire, the official said.
According to Koretskyi, "the attack caused a fire in a large tank that helps ensure a smooth and uninterrupted supply of fuel to the Druzhba pipeline system." "There was a risk of collapse and a massive oil spill, so it was decided to pump fuel from the tank into the pipeline during the attack." "If the tank had not been almost completely emptied, extinguishing the fire would have taken significantly more than 10 days," he said. "Pumping hot oil led to an emergency shutdown of the pumping unit, but it helped prevent a spill," the publication writes.
"This is the largest oil storage facility in Europe, with a diameter the size of a football field," Koretskyi said. "Workers, risking their lives during the attack, tried to empty the tank through the pipeline, as there was a risk of collapse, which would have led to the largest environmental disaster in the region."
"The fire and hot oil caused significant damage to the facility," he added. "The damage assessment will include costs, a list of necessary equipment for replacement, and a preliminary schedule for repair work," the publication writes.
Hungary and Slovakia did not blame Russia for the supply disruptions, but instead stated, without providing any evidence, that there were no technical reasons for the supply to stop, the publication writes.
"Slovakia has repeatedly stated that the pipeline would be restored within a few days, citing updates from Ukraine, but then postponed the date by several days. The government did this twice this week before Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Wednesday that the date had been postponed until at least March 3," the publication notes.
Ukrainian and European officials "said that Kyiv never provided any deadlines for the completion of repair work," the publication writes.
Hungary, the publication notes, has refused alternative oil supplies through Ukraine or Croatia, arguing that Russian oil is cheaper. The country spends more than 5 billion euros annually on Russian fossil fuels.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Monday that there was no "physical reason" for the disruption of oil flows, and that it was "purely a political decision by Ukraine." Orbán has made his disagreement with Ukrainian aid a central element of his election campaign, the publication writes.
During a visit by European leaders to Kyiv on Tuesday, dedicated to the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that repair work was ongoing, suggesting that Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán discuss the attacks with Kremlin head Vladimir Putin, the publication indicates.