Russian oil flow to Slovakia via Druzhba pipeline resumes<\/p>\n
Bratislava confirmed that the country started receiving crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline early on Thursday, after a three-month halt.<\/p>\n
The flow of Russian oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline that crosses Ukraine has resumed, Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Sakov\u00e1 said on Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
The Economy Ministry informs that \u200btoday at 2 am the reception \u2060of oil to Slovakia through the Druzhba \u200bpipeline was resumed,\u201d Sakov\u00e1 said in a ministry statement.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s energy infrastructure at the end of January.<\/p>\n
The confirmation is set to unblock the \u20ac90-billion loan for Ukraine, which has been vetoed by Hungary and Slovakia since February, despite being initially agreed upon in December.<\/p>\n
The disbursement is scheduled to begin between late May and early June.<\/p>\n
Hungary\u2019s energy giant MOL said on Wednesday it was informed by the operator of the Ukrainian section of the pipeline, Ukrtransnafta, that \u201cthe receipt of crude oil from Belarus via the Druzhba pipeline system began in Ukraine at noon today.\u201d<\/p>\n
Druzhba pipeline, which brings cheap Russian crude to Slovakia and Hungary, went offline in late January after being damaged in a Russian drone attack.<\/p>\n
Budapest and Bratislava accused Kyiv of deliberately withholding transit. Ukraine said the \u200bhalt was \u200bforced by the need to repair the pipeline.<\/p>\n
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