EU presses Kyiv for Druzhba pipeline inspections, report says
REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo
The European Commission has insisted that Ukraine should
allow an outside inspection of the damaged Druzhba
oil pipeline which usually carries Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia, the
Financial Times reported
on March 3, citing unnamed EU officials.
“Ukraine is under pressure to let the EU inspect a damaged pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, as the two pro-Kremlin countries accuse Kyiv of overstating the impact of an attack by Moscow — despite what Ukrainian officials say is evidence of extensive destruction,” the report said.
According to five diplomats and EU officials who spoke to the FT, even pro‑Ukrainian governments within the European Union and the European Commission have also asked Ukraine to permit a delegation to inspect the pipeline. Two sources told the newspaper that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requested access for EU experts during her visit to Kyiv on Feb. 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion. The request, according to the sources, was refused.
As tensions escalated, the EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova, reportedly asked through the presidential office for permission to inspect the damaged pipeline herself or to allow visits by other EU diplomats. Those requests were denied for security reasons, the sources said.
One senior EU diplomat told the FT that Kyiv had "scored an own goal," giving Hungary reason to block a EUR90 billion ($104.5 billion) EU credit for Ukraine.
“We cannot say if there is damage or not,” the diplomat said.
“There are very easy ways to document it and show they are working hard to repair it. They haven’t done it.”
A senior Ukrainian official close to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected suggestions that Kyiv was stalling. He said technical experts from state energy company Naftogaz provided European officials with evidence that the Druzhba pipeline was seriously damaged by a Russian attack in late January.
Naftogaz CEO Sergii Koretskyi told the FT that a Russian strike ignited a fire in a storage tank that held 75,000 cubic meters of oil and that the blaze burned for 10 days. He said numerous pieces of equipment, power cables, transformers, and a leak detection system that helps maintain the pipeline’s integrity were damaged.
"The air attack caused a fire in the biggest oil reservoir in Europe, with a diameter the size of a football field," Koretskyi said. He added that a full damage assessment would take time and would be complete soon.
Satellite images reviewed by the newspaper show clear damage
to the pipeline from the Russian airstrike, but the report said the images
alone are insufficient to assess the full extent of the destruction.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
