UPDATE 1-Russian oil transit via Druzhba pipeline suspended, Ukraine foreign ministry says

Russian ​oil transit to eastern Europe ​via the Ukrainian ‌part of ​the Druzhba oil pipeline has been suspended since January 27 owing to a Russian ‌attack, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Thursday.

"This is the Druzhba pipeline infrastructure burning after the latest targeted Russian strike on January 27th, ‌which stopped oil transit," Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on ‌X, adding photographs of firefighters against a backdrop of flames. Ukrainian oil and gas company Naftogaz reported on January 27 that Russia had attacked one of ⁠its facilities ​in eastern Ukraine ⁠but did not specify which one. However, local officials in the city of ⁠Brody warned the population about pollution from burning oil products.

Brody is where ​the Druzhba oil pipeline meets the Brody-Odesa oil pipeline, which ⁠was built to connect Druzhba to Black Sea oil terminals. The strike was a ⁠rare ​case of Russian forces attacking an oil pipeline through which Russia supplies oil to Europe.

Ukraine, however, has repeatedly attacked ⁠Druzhba on Russian territory, causing oil pumping to stop and sparking protests from ⁠Hungary and ⁠Slovakia. Sybiha said that Hungary was preparing to complain again about problems with Russian oil transit through Druzhba.