Druzhba (Friendship) Oil Pipeline

Why in News?

• Ukraine (Aug 2025) hit a pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline, disrupting supplies to Hungary and Slovakia.
• Supplies halted → high political significance since both countries maintain closer ties with Russia and oppose EU sanctions on Russian oil.

About the Druzhba Pipeline

• Meaning → “Druzhba” = Friendship (Russian).
• Also known as → Comecon Pipeline (built for Soviet bloc countries).
• Length → ~ 4,000 km (world’s longest oil pipeline).
• Origin → Almetyevsk, Eastern Russia (Tatarstan).
• Route → Splits into two branches:
  • Northern branch → Belarus → Poland → Germany.
  • Southern branch → Ukraine → Slovakia → Czech Republic → Hungary → Croatia.
• Capacity → ~ 1.2–1.4 million barrels per day.
• Significance →
  • Lifeline for Central & Eastern Europe’s oil needs.
  • Symbol of Soviet-era energy cooperation.
  • Continues to be a geopolitical tool in Russia–Europe relations.