Energy in Flames: How to Break Slovakia and Hungary’s Reliance on Russian Oil

Yesterday’s Ukrainian strike on the Druzhba pipeline—the 4,000‑kilometre artery of Russian oil running straight through Ukraine—has once again halted crude deliveries to Slovakia and Hungary, the sole remaining EU states dependent on Kremlin imports. The attack has sparked immediate outrage from both nations and renewed their pleas to Brussels for emergency measures to avert an energy crisis. But beyond crisis management, the moment demands a strategic reevaluation: resolving this dependency is no longer a policy option—it is a necessity. 

The Legacy of Dependency

Despite sweeping reductions in Europe’s reliance on Russian fossil fuels—coal and oil imports have nearly ceased, and gas has fallen from 45% to 19% of EU demand by 2024—Hungary and Slovakia have held onto Russian oil via a derogation allowing continued use of the Soviet-era southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline. 

This reliance has logistical roots: landlocked, without seaports, and with refining systems configured for Russian crude, both countries lacked affordable alternative supply routes—until options emerged in principle, but remained underutilised. 

The Pipeline Disruption and Immediate Fallout

The Ukrainian military’s attack on the Unecha pumping station in Bryansk has triggered a supply interruption lasting several days. Hungarian and Slovak leaders responded swiftly, warning that this interruption undermines their energy security and urging the European Commission to uphold its commitments. 

For Bratislava and Budapest, this is not just a supply shock—it is a reminder that their energy safety is only as strong as diplomatic circumstances permit. The EU must think beyond contingency to deliver sustainable alternatives.

Pathways to Break the Dependency

1. Accelerate Infrastructure Integration

Both states must intensify efforts to tap into the EU’s energy alternatives:

• Slovakia, in particular, has made progress: the Poland–Slovakia gas interconnector now opens the possibility of Azerbaijani or Norwegian gas, and Mošovce’s new reactor in Slovakia brings significant electricity autonomy. 

  
  

• Mineral oils can be sourced through Mediterranean routes: enhancing capacity at Adria pipeline and port facilities would allow access to global crude and reduce reliance on Druzhba.

2. Leverage EU Solidarity and Strategic Resilience Funds

Brussels must use its existing tools:

• Implement the REPowerEU plan, including its €210 billion reconstruction fund, to finance infrastructure diversification and refinery retrofits. 

  
  

• Enforce the June 2022 sanctions roadmap and eliminate the derogation for landlocked countries—ending the legal basis for Russian crude imports by 2027. 

3. Encourage Strategic Energy Solidarity

EU solidarity mechanisms—such as shared crisis reserves or redistribution of excess from energy-abundant members—must be activated to cushion transition and reaffirm interdependence. 

4. Build Renewable and Low-Carbon Generations

Investments in solar, wind, hydrogen, and possibly advanced solutions like carbon‑capture and storage could allow Central European energy systems to leapfrog dependency altogether. Partnerships with EU and global tech providers should be encouraged. 

Turning Turmoil into Transformation

The Druzhba interruption is a disruption—but it may also be an inflection point. The temporary crisis lays bare a strategic flaw: Slovakia and Hungary remain vulnerable because they never truly reformed their energy structures as they joined the European Union. With coordinated EU backing, now is the moment to close that vulnerability for good.

The choices before Europe are clear: either allow an oil strike in Russia to cascade into energy insecurity in the Union—or turn disruption into opportunity, embedding resilience and sovereignty in Central Europe’s energy future.