Hungary has accused Ukraine of jeopardizing its energy security after a reported drone strike targeted a critical section of the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk Region. The incident has escalated tensions between Budapest and Kyiv, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó condemning the attack as “outrageous” and urging Ukraine to avoid further disruptions to infrastructure vital for Europe’s energy supplies.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Szijjártó stated that Ukrainian forces struck the Unecha distribution station overnight, a key junction in the Druzhba pipeline network. The 4,000-kilometer system, among the world’s longest, transports crude oil from Russia and Kazakhstan to refineries in Hungary, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. Media reports confirmed multiple drone strikes in Bryansk on Tuesday, sparking fires at several locations. Ukraine’s General Staff acknowledged targeting the pumping station in a Facebook post, while Russia has not officially commented.
Szijjártó emphasized Hungary’s reliance on the pipeline, which supplies 65% of the country’s oil needs. He also highlighted Hungary’s role as Ukraine’s “number one electricity supplier,” arguing that Kyiv’s actions risk destabilizing reciprocal energy security. “We call on Ukraine to immediately stop endangering the security of energy supplies to Hungary and Europe,” he wrote, adding that the conflict is one “we Hungarians have nothing to do with.”
This marks the latest escalation in Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, which Kyiv views as a legitimate strategy to weaken Moscow’s military capabilities. In March, Ukrainian forces confirmed targeting the Druzhba pipeline, and a January attempt to strike the TurkStream gas pipeline—a critical route supplying Hungary and other European nations—further underscored the precarious balance between military objectives and regional energy stability. Russian officials have repeatedly denounced such attacks as “acts of terrorism.”
The Unecha strike underscores the vulnerability of transnational energy networks amid the prolonged conflict. With Druzhba directly fueling industries and households across Central and Eastern Europe, disruptions could ripple through economies already strained by geopolitical uncertainty. Analysts note that Hungary’s criticism reflects broader European anxieties over energy dependencies, even as allies navigate divergent stances on supporting Ukraine.
Budapest’s response also raises questions about the diplomatic fallout of cross-border infrastructure attacks. While Kyiv has not explicitly linked the strike to Hungary’s neutral posture in the war, Szijjártó’s remarks suggest growing frustration over collateral risks to non-combatant nations. Meanwhile, the absence of Russian commentary leaves Moscow’s potential countermeasures unclear.
As energy infrastructure remains in the crosshairs, the incident highlights the tightening interplay between wartime tactics and civilian resource security—a dynamic with far-reaching consequences for global energy markets and international relations.
