Hungary's Oil Supply Halted: Reserves Sought

Oil transit to Hungary via the Druzhba pipeline has been interrupted since late January 2026, following extensive Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Mol Group, Hungary's primary energy company, reported no deliveries since January 27, 2026. Consequently, Mol has asked the Hungarian government to release strategic oil reserves to maintain refinery operations, estimating a need for approximately 250,000 tons if pipeline flows do not resume soon.

Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic indicated that his country would examine Hungary's request for potential oil imports through Croatian infrastructure. However, he emphasized the need to adhere to European Union and United States sanctions against Russian crude oil. Mol has already begun sourcing seaborne crude, with shipments expected to reach Croatia's Omisalj port in early March 2026, a process that will take additional days to reach Hungarian refineries. Croatia's state-owned pipeline operator, Janaf, is currently supplying non-Russian crude to Mol refineries in both Hungary and Slovakia, a capability Croatia asserts has always been sufficient to meet Hungarian needs.