Ukraine Reports Druzhba Pipeline Ready, EU Loan Decision Looms

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Tuesday that the Druzhba pipeline, which carries Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, is ready to resume operations after Ukraine repaired damage from a Russian attack.

Zelenskyy indicated that this development removes a major obstacle for a significant European Union financial package. He said there are now no grounds for blocking a €90 billion EU loan, which Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had blocked for months. Orbán is leaving office after losing national elections.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she expects a positive decision on the loan within 24 hours. Reuters, citing an industry source, reported that pumping oil through the pipeline would resume on Wednesday.

Zelenskyy has called on Europe to diversify energy supplies and not resume flows via Druzhba from Russia, stating that "No one can currently guarantee that Russia will not repeat attacks on the pipeline infrastructure."

Related Incidents

Ukrainian authorities arrested military draft officers in Odesa for allegedly kidnapping people from the street and extorting money with threats of sending them to the frontline. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said four officers were detained after special forces shot at the tires of their vehicle during an escape attempt. The SBU said the group is being investigated for extortion and faces up to 12 years in prison with property confiscation.

The head of Britain's National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Horne, will say on Wednesday that Moscow is taking its Ukraine war tactics "beyond the battlefield" to target the UK and Europe in cyberspace. He will point to "sustained Russian hybrid activity" and warn that companies must learn how it is done to defend themselves.

Horne will state that the NCSC handles around four "nationally significant" cyber incidents weekly in Britain, with the most serious threat coming from state-sponsored attacks, mentioning Russia, China, and Iran.

Sweden, Poland, Denmark, and Norway have all reported hackers linked to Russia targeting their critical infrastructure including power plants and dams in recent months.