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Ukraine: Drones Strike Oil Pumping Station

Published February 23, 2026, 17:09
Ukraine: Drones Strike Oil Pumping Station

Ukrainian drones attacked an oil pumping station serving the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies central Europe with oil. The attack, which took place in Tatarstan, caused a fire at the station, with the exact damage to the pipeline remaining unclear. Ukraine is accused by Hungary and Slovakia of attempting to disrupt the flow of oil, with the flow already halted since January 27th due to a previous attack. Despite the war, Ukraine had until recently allowed the transport of Russian oil through its pipelines, although it had stopped the flow of natural gas. Hungary and Slovakia are threatening to cut off electricity supplies to Ukraine, as 70% of Ukraine's electricity imports come from the two countries, while half of Ukraine's power generation units have been damaged. Hungary has also threatened to veto significant European economic aid packages to Ukraine, reacting to the shutdown of Druzhba, which it describes as an “unprovoked hostile act”. The European Union had temporarily exempted the Druzhba pipeline from sanctions against Russia in order to give Central European countries time to become independent from Russian oil, something that Hungary and Slovakia failed to do. This attack escalates tensions in the region and endangers the energy security of Central Europe, while also complicating relations between Ukraine, Hungary and Slovakia.