Ukraine delays resumption of oil supplies to Slovakia again

Ukraine has once more postponed the resumption of oil deliveries to Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline.

The restart of supplies is now scheduled for February 26, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Earlier, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár said that the country had requested the European Commission to carry out an inspection of the Druzhba pipeline on Ukrainian territory to verify or refute Ukraine’s claims of a malfunction.

Minister Blanár also noted that Slovak refinery Slovnaft supplies around 15% of Ukraine’s oil product consumption, and Slovakia continues to provide electricity to its neighbour as needed.

Tensions over the Druzhba oil pipeline have intensified after deliveries of Russian crude through Ukraine to Central Europe were halted at the end of January following reported damage to the infrastructure in western Ukraine.

Kyiv has said repairs are ongoing, but Slovakia and Hungary — the only European Union states still importing Russian oil under an EU exemption — have accused Ukraine of delaying the restart for political reasons.

The disruption has dealt a blow to energy supplies in both countries, prompting Bratislava and Budapest to take retaliatory measures. Slovakia has stopped emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine, warning that assistance will remain suspended until oil transit is restored.

Meanwhile, Hungary has cut diesel fuel exports to Ukraine and threatened to block the EU’s latest sanctions package on Russia and a €90 billion loan to Kyiv unless oil shipments resume.

By Aghakazim Guliyev