Resumption of oil flows via the Druzhba pipeline expected

The Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, is set to resume operations following repair work on a section damaged by a Russian strike in January. A senior Ukrainian official stated that Kyiv has accepted a transit request from the Hungarian oil company MOL, with flows expected to restart within hours. Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakova confirmed that Slovakia expects supplies to resume on Thursday morning, noting that pumping from Belarus has already commenced. The disruption had triggered a diplomatic standoff between Kyiv and Budapest, with Hungary allegedly blocking a 90 billion euro EU loan for Ukraine in retaliation. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that repair work is complete and expressed hope that Budapest will now unblock the European financial aid. Sources differ slightly on the specific timing of the restart, with Ukrainian officials suggesting it would occur within hours and the Slovak side anticipating Thursday morning. This development follows pressure from both Hungary and Slovakia regarding their energy dependency.