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The flow of Russian oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline that crosses Ukraine has resumed, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková said on Thursday morning.
“The Economy Ministry informs that today at 2 am the reception of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline was resumed,” Saková said in a ministry statement.
This confirmation puts an end to a months-long standoff between Ukraine, the EU and Hungary and Slovakia when the transit of Russian cheap oil stopped after a Russian strike on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure at the end of January.
The confirmation is set to unblock the €90-billion loan for Ukraine, which has been vetoed by Hungary and Slovakia since February, despite being initially agreed upon in December.
The disbursement is scheduled to begin between late May and early June.
Hungary’s energy giant MOL said on Wednesday it was informed by the operator of the Ukrainian section of the pipeline, Ukrtransnafta, that “the receipt of crude oil from Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline system began in Ukraine at noon today.”
Druzhba pipeline, which brings cheap Russian crude to Slovakia and Hungary, went offline in late January after being damaged in a Russian drone attack.
Budapest and Bratislava accused Kyiv of deliberately withholding transit. Ukraine said the halt was forced by the need to repair the pipeline.
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