Slovakia vowed to halt emergency power supplies to Ukraine amid a dispute over the halted “Friendship” oil pipeline.
Slovakia Threatens Power Cuts
Oil flows to Slovakia and Hungary stopped at the end of January. Ukraine attributed this to a Russian attack on the “Friendship” pipeline. Slovak authorities insist their infrastructure is fully operational and accuse Kyiv of political blackmail. Prime Minister Robert Fico stated intelligence confirms the pipeline operates within Ukraine, calling the transit halt ideological and political. He threatened an “adequate response” and announced he would instruct state grid operator SEPS to suspend emergency power supplies on February 23.
Ukraine Accuses Blackmail
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned actions by Slovakia and Hungary, which also threatened to block a new EU sanctions package and a loan for Ukraine. The ministry labeled the move “blackmail,” stressing ultimatums should target Moscow, not Kyiv. Both countries had already suspended diesel exports to Ukraine last week.
Drone Attack Damages Pipeline
Russian overnight drone attacks on Zaporizhzhia killed one person and injured another, damaging key industrial infrastructure, according to regional military administration head Ivan Fedorov. Simultaneously, firefighters battled a blaze at a pumping station in Kalejkino, Tatarstan, a critical node in the “Friendship” pipeline. Local authorities attribute the fire to drone debris. Ukrainian sources note Kalejkino is vital for mixing crude from Western Siberia and the Volga region before export via the “Friendship” pipeline.