Druzhba Oil Pipeline Hit for Fifth Time This Year, Supplies Uninterrupted

A section of Russia’s "Druzhba" oil pipeline, a critical conduit for crude oil to Europe, was reportedly blown up on December 1, 2025. Ukrainian media, citing the country’s military intelligence (HUR), confirmed the attack, stating it occurred near Kazinskie Vyselki in Russia's central Tambov region, specifically targeting the Taganrog-Lipetsk section. The incident marks at least the fifth such attack on the pipeline this year, according to Reuters calculations.

Ukrainian military intelligence sources indicated that the attack utilized remotely detonated explosives combined with an additional incendiary mixture to intensify the resulting fire. Despite the reported explosion, both the Slovak pipeline operator and Hungarian energy company MOL stated that oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline were flowing normally as of Wednesday. The pipeline's southern branch remains a crucial energy source for Hungary and Slovakia, operating under temporary EU sanctions exemptions.

The attack is part of Ukraine's broader strategy to target Russian energy infrastructure, aimed at undermining Moscow's oil revenues which are a key source of funding for its war efforts. A HUR source, quoted by The Kyiv Independent, asserted, "The Russian oil network, as the main source of income for the aggressor state and financing for the military-industrial complex, will continue to explode and burn until the enemy stops trying to attack Ukraine." This stance reflects Ukraine's retaliation against ongoing Russian strikes on its own energy grid.

Hungary and Slovakia, which maintain close ties with Moscow and rely on the Druzhba pipeline, have previously urged Kyiv to refrain from such actions. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, following a previous attack, emphasized that "Hungary's energy supply is a matter of sovereignty." The European Union has largely phased out Russian oil imports, but the continued operation of the Druzhba pipeline's southern branch highlights the complex energy dependencies in the region.