Serious internal damage reason for Friendship pipeline shutdown, Ukrainian Minister of Energy says

The Friendship oil pipeline is out of service due to serious internal damage caused by a Russian attack on a pumping station, and the damage is still being assessed, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal said at a press conference on Tuesday, where he outlined the reasons why the pipeline, which also supplies crude oil to Hungary, has not yet been restarted.

Viktor Orbán and the Hungarian government have been pointing fingers at Ukraine for weeks, accusing the neighboring country of closing the pipeline that transports Russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia deliberately, for political reasons. The Hungarian Prime Minister also posted satellite images, which he says prove that there is actually nothing wrong with the pipeline.

The Ukrainian energy minister said that a Russian drone had hit one of the biggest tanks. It is actually the largest tank in Europe, with a capacity of 75,000 cubic meters. At the time of the attack, it contained 25,000 cubic meters of oil, some of which was already burning when it was pumped into the pipes as a precautionary measure to avoid more serious technical and environmental damage, Shmyhal said, emphasizing:

“Most of the internal equipment of the pipeline, various sensors and other technical equipment was severely damaged by the high temperature. This is not visible from the outside, but repairing it will require a lot of work.”

The state oil company Naftogaz is currently investigating the problems. After assessing the damage, they will determine the cost and the amount of time needed for repairs, as well as the equipment required to put the pipeline back into operation, the minister said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that the Russians had bombed the Druzhba pipeline several times and later attacked the technicians working on the repairs. According to the Ukrainian president, a ceasefire is needed to repair the pipeline.

On Monday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán posted satellite images that he claims prove that there are no technical obstacles to restarting the pipeline. Incidentally, as we reported, for a few hundred dollars, anyone can purchase satellite images like the ones presented by the Prime Minister.

On Tuesday, Volodymyr Zelensky commented on Orbán's photos by saying, "You can see the reservoirs from the satellite, a large reservoir that has been torn apart. You cannot see the control center from the satellite. The pipeline is underground. How could Orbán see what is happening to the pipeline underground? I am surprised by this, but anything is possible”.