Satellite images show Druzhba pipeline is operational
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that information was collected over the weekend about the state of the Druzhba, which, he said, refutes the existence of technical problems. This, he said, is confirmed by satellite images.
On the evening of March 1, Orban announced that he had received extraordinary information and would present evidence of the state of the Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine.
On the morning of March 2, the Hungarian Prime Minister took part in a national security meeting dedicated to the state of the Druzhba pipeline.
“Based on satellite images and operational information at our disposal, we can conclude that the Druzhba pipeline is operational. We also found that the attack did not have a direct impact on the pipeline. Therefore, there are no technical obstacles to the restoration of the pipeline,” Orban said.
He added that the satellite images would be available to everyone.
“We once again call on President Zelenskyі to resume the Druzhba pipeline and allow Hungarian and Slovak inspectors to close the disputes. We will continue to take countermeasures until the Ukrainians resume oil supplies,” Orban stressed.
The Prime Minister noted that President Zelensky’s actions are ordinary blackmail against Hungary.
What preceded
On January 27, Russian troops struck a critical infrastructure facility of the Naftogaz group in the western region of Ukraine. The attack was likely aimed at Ukraine’s largest oil pumping station in Brody, which provides the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline.
Hungarian and Slovak Prime Ministers Viktor Orban and Robert Fico accused Ukraine of delaying the resumption of the pipeline for “political reasons,” and on February 18, the authorities of these two countries announced the suspension of oil exports to Ukraine in response to the suspension of the transit of Russian oil by Ukraine.
In addition, Fico warned that Slovakia would also review its support for Ukraine’s European integration and may suspend electricity supplies.
At the same time, Hungary received permission to import Russian oil via an alternative sea route through Croatia with further transportation by pipeline.