Bratislava, Slovakia. Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico said he would seek to halt emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv acts within two days to resume the pumping of Russian oil to Slovakia via Ukraine, which has been disrupted for nearly a month.
Oil transit disruption through Druzhba
Slovakia and Hungary are the only two European Union countries that still rely on significant amounts of Russian oil shipped via the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline through Ukraine. Both countries’ leaders have maintained close relations with Moscow, diverging from a largely pro-Ukrainian European consensus.
Russian oil through the main Druzhba pipe has been cut off since January 27, after Kyiv said a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in western Ukraine. Slovakia and Hungary have demanded that transit resume.
Link to emergency electricity supplies
Slovakia is a major source of European electricity for Ukraine, which has relied on imports as Russian attacks have damaged its power grid. Energy sector experts said Slovakia accounted for 18% of record Ukrainian electricity imports last month.
“If oil supplies to Slovakia are not resumed on Monday, I will ask SEPS, the state-owned joint-stock company, to stop emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine,” Fico said in a post on X.
Ukraine proposes alternative routes
Ukraine has proposed alternative transit routes to ship oil to Europe while emergency pipeline repair works are under way. In a letter seen by Reuters, Ukraine’s mission to the EU proposed shipments through Ukraine’s oil transportation system or via a maritime route that could include the Odesa-Brody pipeline linking Ukraine’s main Black Sea port to the EU.
“Ukraine consistently reiterates its continuous readiness to ensure transportation of the oil within the available legal framework,” the letter said.
Energy attacks and continued transit
Since October, Russia has intensified drone and missile attacks on Ukraine’s energy system, disrupting electricity and heat supplies and causing long blackouts during winter.
Throughout the war that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion, whose fourth anniversary falls on Tuesday, Ukraine has allowed its territory to be used for Russian energy exports to Europe, which have been sharply curtailed but not halted.
How do you think the dispute over oil transit could affect Ukraine’s access to emergency electricity supplies?