Hungary gave Ukraine three days to resume operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline
Kyiv • UNN
The Hungarian Ministry of Energy issued an ultimatum to Kyiv, giving them three working days to restore the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Hungary has given Ukraine three days to restore the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline or allow a group of inspectors to enter, otherwise the country will take legal action. This was written by Deputy Minister of Energy, State Secretary Gábor Czepek on Facebook, as reported by UNN.
We have given Kyiv an ultimatum: they have three working days to restore the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline. If they do not, let them allow a fact-finding delegation to the Brodivska station.
In a letter published by Czepek to Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal from the Hungarian Ministry of Energy, it is stated that "the prolonged disruption of crude oil transit through the territory of Ukraine, reportedly caused by technical damage to the infrastructure, causes serious concern to our government and poses a direct and immediate threat to Hungary's national energy security."
I would like to inform you that on March 4, the Hungarian government adopted Resolution No. 1065/2026 on the establishment of a fact-finding mission to assess the condition of the Druzhba oil pipeline and appointed me as the head of the said mission. In order to clarify the situation and ensure the rapid resumption of oil pumping, as the head of the mission, I and the members of the fact-finding mission would like to visit and assess the current state of the Druzhba oil pipeline together with representatives of the MOL group within three working days, i.e., by Tuesday, March 10, 2026, or achieve the immediate resumption of oil pumping.
The letter also states that "the request is formulated in the spirit of mutual international and bilateral obligations between governments, including Article 21 of the Treaty on Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between Hungary and Ukraine of 1991."
On this basis, Hungary respectfully requests the opportunity to conduct an on-site visit to the affected facilities. At the same time, I would like to inform you that today Hungary officially notified the European Commission about the fact-finding mission and asked the Commission to take the necessary legal and procedural measures to resolve this issue immediately. We believe that such a transparent and cooperative approach is the most appropriate way to objectively assess the situation and facilitate the rapid resumption of oil transit. In connection with the above, we ask for your assistance and consent to facilitate the trip and on-site visit, as well as to inform the relevant professional bodies and experts about the need to cooperate with the members of this mission. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and reception of the delegation.
Recall
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that the country will stop the transit of supplies important for Ukraine. This will continue until the Druzhba oil pipeline is launched.