Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that the damaged Druzhba pipeline could be restored and operational in approximately a month and a half following a Russian attack.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged by a Russian attack in late January, could potentially be ready to resume operations in about a month and a half. This statement came during a briefing where Serhiy Koretsky, the CEO of Naftogaz, detailed the extent of the damage caused by the attack on the main pumping station of the pipeline. The attack has severely impacted operations, with significant damage reported to the infrastructure, including power cables and transformers.
Koretsky elaborated on the consequences of the attack, revealing that a fire occurred in one of the largest oil storage tanks in Europe, a facility with a volume of 75,000 cubic meters. Emergency efforts to contain the fire lasted for ten days, revealing the scale and seriousness of the damages inflicted by the military action. The Druzhba pipeline has not been transporting oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia since January 27, attributed directly to recent Russian aggression against the pipeline's infrastructure.
The situation raises concerns not only for the energy supply in Slovakia and Hungary but also signifies ongoing tensions between Ukraine and Russia amidst the broader conflict, affecting not just local economies but European energy dynamics. As European countries explore alternatives and seek to diversify their energy sources, the restoration of the Druzhba pipeline’s full operational capacity may play a crucial role in reshaping regional energy dependencies in the coming months.
