Slovakia's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanar has announced that Bratislava has formally requested the European Commission to conduct an inspection of the Druzhba pipeline section in Ukraine to determine its suitability for oil transit.
According to Operative Information Center-OMM, citing TASR, the move comes amid growing uncertainty regarding the technical condition of the critical energy infrastructure. Minister Blanar stated that the position of the Ukrainian side remains unclear to Bratislava, noting that despite repeated requests from Slovak representatives to access the areas where the pipeline is allegedly damaged, Kyiv has failed to maintain communication or provide the necessary technical data.
Blanar further noted that Slovakia has approached the EU Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen, with a specific request to dispatch an inspection team to the site. The objective is to independently verify the status of the infrastructure and identify the specific reasons preventing the resumption of steady oil supplies through the territory of Ukraine.
The Druzhba pipeline, one of the world's longest oil pipeline networks, serves as a vital energy artery for Central European landlocked countries, including Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Ensuring the operational integrity of this route is considered a matter of national energy security for Bratislava, as the country remains significantly dependent on these deliveries for its domestic refining industry and fuel stability. The current diplomatic push highlights the increasing complexities of energy transit within the region amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
