Magyar Says Druzhba Oil Flows Could Resume Next Week

Flows of Russian oil to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline could resume next week after a months-long hiatus, incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar said, citing the head of refiner MOL.

Magyar told reporters on Friday that Zsolt Hernadi had told him of the renewed flow and that the MOL chief would visit Russia next week to discuss oil supplies.

“It’s not enough just to restart Druzhba,” Magyar said. “It needs to get oil too.”

The pipeline, which brings Russian oil via Ukraine to central Europe, has been inoperative since January when it was damaged by a Russian drone strike. 

It also became the subject of a political spat in Hungary’s election campaign as outgoing premier Viktor Orban accused Kyiv of dragging out repairs for political reasons, a charge which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy denied. Orban then said he’d block a €90 billion ($106 billion) European Union loan to Kyiv until flows were restored. 

Magyar said Wednesday that he expects Orban to lift his veto once oil flows are restored. Zelenskiy said earlier this week that supply could resume by the end of this month.