Hungary orders first Russian oil shipments via Croatia

Wednesday 18 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Hungary orders first Russian oil shipments via Croatia

Hungary’s state controlled energy company MOL has ordered its first seaborne deliveries of Russian crude to be routed through Croatia, marking a new phase in an energy supply dispute involving Kyiv, Budapest and Bratislava after damage to the Druzhba pipeline in late January.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on February 17 that MOL had signed contracts for Russian oil shipments already en route and expected to arrive at the Croatian Adriatic port of Omišalj in early March. From there, the crude will travel through the Adria pipeline system, taking an additional five to 12 days to reach refineries in Hungary and Slovakia.

Flows of Russian oil through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline have been halted since January 27. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said a Russian airstrike damaged pipeline infrastructure on Ukrainian territory, publishing images on X showing sections of the pipeline ablaze. He preemptively rejected any suggestion that Kyiv was responsible for the disruption.

Hungary and Slovakia, the only remaining European Union member states still importing Russian oil via Druzhba, have accused Ukraine of delaying repairs for political reasons. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico alleged on February 15 that Ukraine was using the pipeline outage as leverage to pressure Hungary over its opposition to Ukraine’s EU membership bid. Speaking after meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Bratislava, Fico described the situation as political blackmail directed at Hungary.

Hungarian and Slovak officials sent a joint letter to Croatian Economy Minister Ante Susnjar requesting that Zagreb facilitate Russian crude shipments through the Adria pipeline. They cited an emergency exemption under EU sanctions that permits maritime imports of Russian oil when pipeline deliveries are interrupted.

Croatia responded cautiously. Susnjar said Zagreb would not allow Central Europe’s fuel supply to be endangered and expressed readiness to help resolve the disruption in line with European law. At the same time, he criticized continued reliance on Russian crude, arguing that purchases contribute to financing the war against Ukraine.

The European Commission sought to ease concerns, with spokesperson Anna Kaisa Itkonen stating on February 17 in Brussels that both Hungary and Slovakia hold 90 days of mandatory emergency oil reserves under EU legislation. She said there was no immediate risk to supply security.

Brussels confirmed it remains in contact with Ukraine regarding repair timelines and is prepared to convene an emergency coordination group to discuss alternative supply routes. MOL has also requested the release of approximately 250,000 tons from Hungary’s strategic reserves to cover the shortfall until maritime shipments arrive.

The disruption comes as Hungary faces domestic political pressure ahead of elections, while its government continues to resist EU calls to diversify away from Russian energy sources, a stance enabled by exemptions built into the bloc’s sanctions framework.