A fresh drone attack has damaged the Druzhba (“Friendship”) oil pipeline in Russia’s Bryansk region, disrupting one of Hungary and Slovakia’s main energy lifelines.
The strikes, reported on Thursday, August 21, triggered fires along the route. Video released by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces showed the damage, which was later confirmed by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.
Posting on Facebook, Szijjártó said the pipeline near the Russian-Belarusian border had been attacked for the third time in recent weeks. He called the strikes “another attack on our country’s energy security” and “an attempt to drag us into war,” while vowing that Hungary would keep pushing for peace and defend its national interests.
Szijjártó wrote:
For the third time in a short period, the Druzhba oil pipeline has been attacked. Let it be clear to everyone: with these attacks, Ukraine is not primarily harming Russia, but Hungary and Slovakia. The Druzhba pipeline plays a key role in our country’s energy supply; without it, the physical supply of crude oil is impossible.
On August 18, a separate drone strike hit the Nikolskoe oil pumping station in Russia’s Tambov region, temporarily halting Druzhba pipeline operations and cutting oil supplies to Hungary.
