Amidst the tense relations between Russia and Ukraine, Kyiv is now on edge as a crisis hits the country's relations with Hungary as Budapest threatens to cut off electricity to Kyiv after a series of Ukrainian drone strikes destroyed the Druzhba oil pipeline station in Russian territory.
The first attack last week damaged a distribution station in Bryansk, delaying oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia. A second attack hit the Nikolskoye pumping station in Tambov region on Monday, causing oil flows to stop again.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó denounced the move as “nonsensical,” warning that electricity from Hungary was “the lifeblood” of Ukraine.
Ukraine, however, rejected the criticism, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha recalling that the war was started by Russia, accusing Budapest of being too dependent on Moscow’s energy.
The statement did not calm the situation, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán increasing the pressure by claiming that Ukraine could be paralyzed in just one day if Budapest shuts off its electricity supply.
Official Hungarian government data showed Kyiv imported more than 2.14 terawatt-hours of electricity from the country, almost 40% of its total needs.
The European Union (EU) said in a brief statement that it was in close contact with Hungary and Slovakia, stressing that the region’s energy security remained a top priority.
