EditPipeline politics: Hungary and Ukraine clash over energy security
Szijjártó accuses Ukraine of strikes on Druzhba while Kyiv tells Budapest to take complaints to Moscow
Hungary’s accusations that Ukraine is targeting vital energy routes are sharpening tensions between Budapest and Kyiv, adding a new layer of strain to an already fraught relationship shaped by the war in Ukraine and Europe’s energy divide.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has dismissed accusations from his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó, who earlier alleged that Ukraine was behind an “attack” on the Druzhba oil pipeline leading to Hungary.
In a post on X, Sybiha reminded Budapest that “it is Russia, not Ukraine, who began this war and refuses to end it”, stressing that Moscow is the only party responsible for disruptions to regional energy supplies. He pointed out that Hungary had long been warned about the risks of overdependence on Russian energy, yet chose to preserve that dependency even after the full-scale invasion began.
“Now you can send your complaints and your threats to your friends in Moscow,” the Ukrainian minister added.
The exchange followed Szijjártó’s statement in which he claimed that “Ukraine again attacked the oil pipeline leading to Hungary, which resulted in the suspension of oil supplies to the country”. He also underlined that electricity imports from Hungary “play a key role in Ukraine’s energy supply” and urged Kyiv to stop undermining Hungary’s energy security.
The Hungarian foreign minister had raised similar accusations days earlier, arguing that Ukraine carried out a drone strike against a “key distribution station” of the Druzhba pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region.
“Hungary is currently the largest supplier of electricity to Ukraine, and without us Ukraine’s energy security would become quite unstable. In this context, the latest strike against the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies crude oil to Hungary and plays a crucial role in our country’s energy security, is particularly outrageous,” Szijjártó wrote on Facebook, calling on Ukraine to refrain from attacks on energy supply routes.
His remarks coincided with reports from Hungary and Slovakia that Russian crude flows through Druzhba had been halted. Slovak pipeline operator Transpetrol confirmed that deliveries to Slovakia had stopped but said it had no information on the cause, which lay outside Slovak territory. Budapest meanwhile said the interruption followed damage to a transformer station, with Szijjártó citing discussions with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin about repair work.
The latest episode comes against the backdrop of EU efforts to tighten its energy stance. The European Commission has proposed a legally binding ban on imports of Russian pipeline gas and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027, designed in such a way that Budapest and Bratislava cannot veto it.
Despite this, Hungary has continued to deepen its energy ties with Russia. In July, Szijjártó announced progress on a new pipeline project with Serbia, reiterating his criticism of Brussels for phasing out Russian energy resources. For Budapest, Druzhba remains the primary route for crude oil imports.
The political rift between Budapest and Kyiv, rooted in Hungary’s pro-Russian stance and disputes over ethnic Hungarian rights in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, has escalated through mutual accusations of espionage and Hungary’s obstruction of EU and NATO support for Ukraine.
Caption: Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha attends a joint press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky (not pictured) following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, 12 August 2025. Lipavsky arrived in Kyiv to meet with top Ukrainian officials, amid the ongoing Russian invasion. EPA/SERGEY DOLZHENKO
Updated: August 18, 2025 - 15:03
