Oil deliveries to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline have had to be suspended temporarily on March 11 due to a Ukrainian drone strike on one of the pipeline’s measuring stations.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said he had spoken to Russia’s deputy prime minister in charge of energy affairs, who had told him that oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline have had to be temporarily halted due to a Ukrainian strike. Repairs are under way, and deliveries could resume late in the afternoon or early evening, he said, according to a ministry statement.

"If the Druzhba oil pipeline is rendered inoperable, then it practically becomes physically impossible to supply oil to Hungary and Slovakia," Szijjarto warned, adding that attacks on Hungary’s energy infrastructure were "unacceptable". "We have made this position clear in Brussels on multiple occasions, and the European Commission guaranteed that there would be no attacks on the infrastructure supplying energy to Hungary," he said.

Russia's First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin later informed the Hungarian government that the Russian operator had repaired the damage and transits had been restarted on the Druzhba pipeline

The EU has significantly reduced its reliance on Russian oil since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, however, the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline continues to operate under exemptions granted to certain Central European nations.

In September, Ukraine approved an agreement enabling Hungary to continue purchasing Russian oil, despite Kyiv imposing sanctions on one of its key suppliers. Under the deal, the fuel is deemed Hungarian as soon as it enters Ukrainian territory, allowing it to transit the country.

Budapest has consistently opposed EU efforts to further curtail reliance on Russian energy.

At last week's extraordinary EU summit, Prime Minister Viktor Orban blocked what would have otherwise been unanimous backing from European leaders for a statement reaffirming support for Ukraine and tougher sanctions on Moscow.

Hungary's largest oil exporter MOL has benefited greatly from buying discounted Russian oil. MOL’s refining margins have been bolstered by the price gap between Russian Urals crude and alternative benchmark grades such as Brent. This cost advantage has helped the company maintain strong profitability, particularly as it supplies fuel to Hungary and neighbouring markets.