Unlike most European countries, Hungary has not stopped importing oil from Russia. Prime Minister Viktor Orban explains his pro-Russian actions as the good of citizens and concern for lower fuel prices in the country, but CSD research, cited by CNN, contradicts these promises. This is indicated by specific data. CSD analysis showed that domestic fuel prices in Hungary were on average 18% lower in 2025. higher than in neighboring Czech Republic, even though Budapest still buys cheaper Russian oil, while Prague purchases more expensive alternatives from outside Russia. Savings due to cheaper oil flow mainly to MOL, the Hungarian oil giant.
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Hungary. A company linked to the government benefits
The MOL concern, whose main shareholder is the Hungarian government, increased its operating revenues by 30%. since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – reports CSD, suggesting that this includes, among others, the effect of buying oil from Russia at competitive prices.
“The dependence on overpriced Russian oil has not translated into consumer savings,” CSD's Martin Vladimirov told CNN. “Instead, the profit from the resale of cheap oil goes into the pockets of the monopoly supplier MOL in the form of surplus profit,” adds the expert.
As CNN reminds, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, EU members took action to end dependence on Russian oil and gas. The EU then gave permission to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – three Central European countries particularly dependent on Russia for energy – to continue purchasing oil with a request to reduce their dependence on Russia as quickly as possible. The Czech Republic stopped buying Russian oil, but Hungary and Slovakia deepened their dependence. Last year, Russia accounted for over 92 percent. crude oil imports to Hungary compared to 61 percent before the invasion, say the authors of the report.
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“Despite full access to alternative supply routes, Hungary has deepened its dependence on Russian oil, turning the EU's temporary exemption into a permanent loophole in the sanctions regime,” the CSD report said.
The report also disputes Orban's previous claims that Hungary does not have the infrastructure to process non-Russian oil. It said refineries in Hungary are technically capable of processing non-Russian crude and have done so in the past without disruption.
