EditEU experts stranded in Kyiv awaiting access to Russian-damaged Druzhba pipeline
Delayed inspection underscores tensions between Ukraine’s security concerns and mounting pressure from Hungary and Slovakia over oil transit
A European Union technical mission sent to assess damage to the Druzhba oil pipeline remains in Kyiv more than a week after its arrival, awaiting authorisation to access the site hit by a Russian attack, according to EU officials.
The group of experts, drawn from several EU member states and the European Commission, arrived in Ukraine on 18 March with the aim of evaluating the extent of the damage and the work required to restore operations. However, as of now, the team has not been granted permission to inspect the affected section.
EU experts set to inspect Russian-damaged Druzhba oil pipeline in Ukraine
An EU official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Brussels had expected access to be granted following an exchange of letters on 17 March between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In that correspondence, Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine was ready to accept both technical and financial assistance from the EU to repair the pipeline.
This led EU institutions to conclude that a fact-finding mission would be able to proceed without delay.
Yet access to the site remains pending. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said earlier that decisions on granting entry to strategic infrastructure facilities fall under the responsibility of Ukraine’s security services.
Russian strike halts transit
The Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian crude oil to Central Europe, was damaged on 27 January in the town of Brody in Ukraine’s Lviv region following a Russian strike on critical infrastructure. According to Ukraine’s state energy company Naftogaz, the attack triggered a fire and forced an immediate halt to operations.
As a result, supplies of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the pipeline have been suspended since the incident.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that the disruption was directly caused by Russia, criticising Budapest for failing to condemn the attack. He accused Hungary of applying “double standards” in its response.
Kyiv maintains that it informed Hungarian authorities about the strike and its consequences on the day it occurred, arguing that accusations of deliberate delays in restoring transit are unfounded.
The disruption has triggered a sharp response from Hungary and Slovakia, both of which continue to rely on Russian oil delivered via Druzhba.
The two governments have taken coordinated measures, including halting exports of diesel fuel to Ukraine until supplies are restored. They have also issued political warnings, linking the resumption of energy cooperation to broader bilateral relations.
On 21 February, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country could suspend electricity exports to Ukraine if oil transit was not resumed. Similar positions have been echoed by the Hungarian government.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced the creation of a joint Hungarian-Slovak investigative commission to examine the condition of the pipeline. The initiative followed earlier attempts by Hungarian representatives to visit Ukraine, which Kyiv said had not been coordinated through official diplomatic channels.
President Zelenskyy later stated that he had no knowledge of a Hungarian delegation arriving in Ukraine, noting that no agreement had been reached with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry regarding such a visit.
Ukraine has stressed that any decision to restore operations of the Druzhba pipeline must take into account the risk of further Russian attacks.
While Kyiv has accepted the EU’s offer of technical and financial assistance, officials insist that security considerations remain paramount. The European Commission has echoed this position, stating that while it supports the resumption of pipeline operations, the final decision rests with Ukraine.
As an alternative, Ukraine has proposed using the Odessa-Brody pipeline to supply oil to EU markets, bypassing the damaged Druzhba infrastructure.
The article by EUalive’s partner Suspilne in Ukrainian can be found here.
Caption: People look at the city’s panorama from the Glass Bridge as they walk in downtown Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 March 2026, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
Updated: March 27, 2026 - 19:07
