Russian oil transit through Ukraine returns to normal levels

Supplies of russian crude oil to Hungary and Slovakia via the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline returned to normal levels in May following the resumption of flows in late April, according to Reuters.

May was the first full month of shipments after transit had been suspended at the end of January following a russian strike on oil pipeline infrastructure in Ukraine.

According to Reuters, Hungary and Slovakia received 165 thousand barrels of oil per day in May (approximately 700 thousand tons), compared to around 55 thousand barrels per day (220 thousand tons) in April. Shipments in April lasted for only one week. However, May volumes remained slightly below pre-suspension levels of around 235 thousand barrels per day (about 1 million tons per month).

Hungarian oil and gas company MOL Group, which owns refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, said it had purchased 10 different crude grades this year as part of its supply diversification strategy. The company also stated that it is exploring additional pipeline routes, including the possibility of using the Odessa route in the future.

Oil transportation through the Druzhba pipeline was halted at the end of January due to damage caused by a russian strike on the city of Brody in Ukraine’s Lviv region. Ukraine completed repairs to the pipeline in April.

Russia currently supplies oil to Hungary and Slovakia through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline under an exemption from EU sanctions imposed in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine.

At the same time, transit of Kazakh crude oil through the northern branch of the Druzhba pipeline to Germany has been suspended since May. The russian side cited a lack of “technical capabilities” as the reason for the halt.

As reported by ExPro, Ukraine transported about 9.73 million tons of Russian oil via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline in 2025, down 14% compared to 2024 (11.36 million tons). This is also the lowest level since at least 2014, and likely the lowest since Ukraine’s independence in 1991.