Hungary bans Ukrainian commander over pipeline attack

Hungary has issued an entry ban against a Ukrainian military commander for an attack on a key Russian oil pipeline.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on 28/8 that the Ukrainian commander "attacked Hungary's sovereignty and endangered our energy security".

Robert Brovdi, commander of the Ukrainian Drone Systems Force, confirmed he was the target of the ban. He criticized Budapest's move, stating, "Your hands are stained with Ukrainian blood. We will remember this".

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also condemned Hungary's action, saying the ban "only adds to the outrage." Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv summoned the Hungarian ambassador to deliver a "note of protest".

"We urge Hungary to refrain from further unfriendly actions and instead engage in constructive dialogue, which Ukraine is always ready for," he wrote on X.

Smoke rises from the Unecha oil pumping station during a fire in Bryansk, Russia on 21/8. Photo: Reuters

Smoke rises from the Unecha oil pumping station during a fire in Bryansk, Russia on 21/8. Photo: Reuters

The Ukrainian military announced last week that it had attacked a pumping station in Russia's Bryansk region, disrupting the flow of oil through the Druzhba pipeline.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he complained to US President Donald Trump after Ukrainian military actions disrupted oil supplies. Hungary and Slovakia have also asked the European Commission to take action against Ukraine's "repeated attacks" on the Druzhba pipeline.

The European Union (EU) imposed a ban on most Russian oil imports in 2022, following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. However, the Druzhba pipeline was exempted to give landlocked Central European countries time to find alternative supplies. Mr. Orban and his Slovak counterpart, Robert Fico, have condemned the sanctions, arguing they threaten their energy security.