Trump Expresses Outrage Over Ukrainian Strike on Druzhba Pipeline, Hungary and Slovakia Demand EU Action

Former U.S. President Donald Trump voiced strong criticism of Ukraine following a recent drone attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline, which transports Russian crude oil to Hungary. The strike, reportedly carried out by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, targeted the Unecha oil pumping station in Russia, temporarily halting oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia.

According to Ukrainian commander Robert Brovdi, also known by the call sign “Madyar,” the latest drone operation could suspend oil flow through the Druzhba pipeline for up to five days. The Hill reported that this was the second Ukrainian strike on the facility in recent weeks. An earlier drone attack on August 13 caused large fires at the same location, though repairs were completed by August 19.

Hungary, which relies heavily on Russian oil via the Druzhba route, expressed frustration over the attack. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán criticized Ukraine’s actions in a pointed statement, writing, “Hungary supports Ukraine with electricity and petrol, in return, they bomb the pipeline that supplies us. Very unfriendly move! We wish President Trump every success in his pursuit of peace.”

Trump, who has recently stepped up efforts to mediate peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, replied to Orbán, saying, “Viktor – I do not like hearing this. I am very angry about it. Tell Slovakia. You are my great friend.”

The pipeline attacks have triggered growing concern among EU member states dependent on Russian energy. In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár jointly urged the European Commission to act swiftly to protect critical infrastructure from further sabotage.

In a letter sent Friday, the two ministers criticized Ukraine’s recent strikes and called for the EU to step up its commitment to safeguard member states’ energy security. “Given that in the past years, the EU and its Member States have provided hundreds of billions of Euros worth of support to Ukraine, we find Ukraine’s actions, which severely threaten the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia, completely unacceptable,” the letter read.

The ministers demanded that the European Commission “immediately uphold the commitments outlined in the abovementioned statement and guarantee the safety of energy supply of its Member States.”

Meanwhile, tensions escalated further over the weekend as Russia accused Ukraine of launching drone attacks on multiple sites, including a nuclear power plant in the Kursk region. Russian officials claimed that the overnight drone strikes damaged a transformer at the plant, leading to a fire that was later brought under control. No injuries were reported, and radiation levels remained within normal ranges, according to Russian authorities.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) acknowledged reports of the incident, stating it was “aware” of claims linking the fire to military activity, though it had not independently verified the damage.

Elsewhere, firefighters responded to another blaze at the port of Ust-Luga in Russia’s Leningrad region, a critical hub for fuel exports. Local officials blamed falling debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones for the fire. Reports from Newsweek indicated that 10 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted near the port prior to the incident.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that its air defenses shot down 95 Ukrainian drones overnight across various regions. Simultaneously, Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 72 drones, along with a cruise missile, into Ukrainian airspace, 48 of which were either destroyed or electronically jammed.

These latest escalations come as former President Trump pursues a potential peace agreement between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump has reportedly met separately with both leaders—Zelensky at the White House and Putin during a visit to Alaska.

One of the major sticking points in the ongoing negotiations is the matter of security guarantees for Ukraine. While NATO membership remains a contentious issue, European leaders have suggested an alternative path: integrating Ukraine into the European Union instead.

At their urging, Trump called Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán on Monday to request his support for Ukraine’s EU accession. However, Orbán remained firm in his opposition. “Ukraine’s accession to the EU does not provide any security guarantees,” he wrote on Facebook. “Linking membership with security guarantees is unnecessary and dangerous.”

There is speculation that a future peace summit between Zelensky and Putin could be hosted in Budapest, but both Kyiv and Moscow have shown little enthusiasm for the proposal. In the meantime, intense fighting continues across eastern Ukraine, as international efforts to end the three-year-old war face mounting challenges.