2026-02-18 14:33
publication
2026-02-18 14:33
The Slovak government announced a state of emergency related to oil supplies on Wednesday. The authorities also agreed to lend the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava up to PLN 250,000. tons of oil from strategic reserves. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the lack of supplies via the Druzhba pipeline.
The state of emergency and the released strategic stocks are intended to help the Slovnaft refinery, owned by the Hungarian concern MOL, survive until it secures raw material via a route other than the Druzhba pipeline. The oil pipeline was damaged near the town of Brody, in western Ukraine, at the end of January during Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
According to Prime Minister Fico, the damage has already been repaired, and President Zelensky is deliberately withholding deliveries which – according to the authorities in Bratislava – are intended to harm Slovakia. Fico referred to reports from intelligence services.
The Prime Minister said that he had instructed the Slovak ambassador in Kiev to submit a note to the Ukrainian authorities demanding an explanation of the reasons for the lack of resumption of oil supplies. Fico also wants representatives of Slovakia and Hungary to be able to check the condition of the transmission equipment on site in Brody.
The Slovak Prime Minister threatened Ukraine that it will lose his country's support on its path to the European Union. It is also possible to limit the electricity supplies that Slovakia sends to Ukraine.
The announced deliveries of oil from strategic reserves will be enough to operate the only Slovak refinery for a month. During this time, Slovnaft must ensure supplies via the Adria pipeline, which leads to Slovakia from the Croatian port of Omiszalj on the island of Krk. According to the company, the purchased raw material is already in seven tankers sailing towards Croatia. This oil does not come from Russia.
Piotr Górecki (PAP)
ptg/ap/
