Serbia seeks Russian help to redirect Druzhba pipeline through Hungary

Serbia has appealed to Russia for assistance in redirecting the Druzhba pipeline through Hungarian territory.

Transneft, the Russian oil transportation company, has expressed its willingness to support this initiative, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Vladimir Kalanda, Vice President of Transneft, confirmed the request. He explained that Serbian company Transnafta Pancevo proposes constructing a pipeline approximately 300 km long, passing through Hungary and directly connecting to the Druzhba pipeline.

"This will allow Serbia to be more independent in its oil supplies and significantly increase the volume of oil delivered for domestic consumption," Kalanda said.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto previously stated that Hungary and Serbia planned to build a new oil pipeline between the two countries within the next three years, which will deliver crude to Serbia’s pipeline system.

Druzhba is the largest pipeline system in the world, spanning 8,900 km, with 3,900 km of it located within Russia.

To recall, in March 2024, Serbia's government announced plans to begin construction on a 128-kilometer oil pipeline connecting the country to Hungary in 2025. The project, valued at 150 million euros ($163.9 million), aims to secure a new route for Russian oil imports. The new pipeline will offer Serbia access to Russian Urals crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which stretches from Russia to various Central European countries, including Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

By connecting to the Druzhba pipeline through Hungary, Serbia aims to reduce its dependency on other oil supply routes and gain more control over its energy supplies. The proposed 300 km pipeline would allow Serbia to directly tap into the Druzhba pipeline, significantly boosting the volume of oil delivered to the country. 

Serbia currently receives oil deliveries via the JANAF pipeline from Croatia. However, these shipments were impacted by European Union sanctions imposed in 2022 due to Russia's war in Ukraine.

By Khagan Isayev