Russian Oil Flows Resume via Druzhba Pipeline, Unblocking EU Loan for Ukraine

The resumption of the flow of crude, which has been stymied since January, meant Hungary lifted its veto on the loan to Kyiv.

The Druzhba oil pipeline at the Hungarian MOL Group's Danube Refinery in Szazhalombatta, Hungary, on May 18, 2022. Bernadett Szabo/Reuters

Russian oil once again flowed through the Ukrainian section of the Druzhba pipeline on April 22, after a halt that lasted months, Hungarian officials confirmed.

The Druzhba pipeline is about 2,485 miles long and carries Russian oil into the landlocked heart of Europe. It became one of the most contentious issues in European politics since it was damaged in western Ukraine, halting deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia.