Ukraine hits Druzhba oil pipeline, which also supplies Slovakia and Hungary

Ukraine has hit the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia's Tambov region, a source from Ukraine's military intelligence agency GUR has confirmed. This is the fifth attack on the pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, Reuters reported.

Both countries have continued to take Russian energy crude even after most European Union countries cut or halted those supplies following Russia's invasion in 2022.

According to Ukrainian media, remote-controlled explosives were used in the attack. However, both the operators of the Slovak section of the pipeline and the Hungarian company MOL announced that the flow of oil remains normal and supplies are not interrupted. Russia has not yet commented on the incident.

The Druzhba pipeline has already been the target of attacks in March, twice in August and once in September this year. Kiev says the strikes on energy infrastructure are in response to Russia's continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities and are aimed at weakening the overall Russian war machine.

(reuters, lud)