Ukraine-Hungary oil pipeline row threatens EU loan

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Kyiv and Budapest disagree on how badly damaged a hub in western Ukraine bombed by Russia really is, as its oil flow remains suspended.

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No oil has flowed through the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline, from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia across Ukraine, since the major oil hub at Brody, in western Ukraine, was damaged in a Russian attack on 27 January.

While Ukraine argues that it will need six more weeks to repair the damage and restore the oil flow, Budapest accuses Kyiv of stalling, as revenge for Hungary's pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian position.

The dispute underlines the ability of one or two countries to block EU decision making. It also shows Hungary and Slovakia facing fuel problems, because they refused to follow the lead of others and wean themselves off Russian oil since 2022.

The Brody pumping station in Ukraine's western Lviv region is crucially important for the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia.

Satellite images obtained by the BBC suggest that the Russian strike on 27 January damaged its key part - a huge tank used to store oil necessary to keep the pipeline pressurised and functioning.

The photos appear to show the tank smouldering after the attack and suggest that a fire raged there for days.

This is the biggest oil tank in Ukraine, with a capacity of 75,000 cubic metres.

Ukrainian energy expert Henadiy Ryabtsev says damage caused to the pumping station at Brody is severe, and is possibly not just limited to the oil tank.

According to him, the extreme heat resulting from the fire may have also damaged other systems at Brody, such as pumps and the pipeline itself.

"The oil was on fire for about a week, which means that during that time everything around it was affected by the high temperature," he told the BBC.

The government in Kyiv says the damage caused to Brody is severe and Ukraine does not have the resources to repair it more quickly.

"This is a technical issue," Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhy Tykhy told the BBC.

"Our infrastructure is being damaged every day... Ukrai

Source: BBC

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