Budapest: Hungary has banned the commander of a Ukrainian military unit from entering the country and travelling through the entire Schengen Area, blaming him of posing “a national security risk” following recent attacks against the Druzhba oil pipeline from Russia.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto declared the entry ban on Thursday, describing the most recent strike as “an assault on Hungary’s sovereignty” and vowed not to let it go without consequences, Xinhua News Agency reported.
According to him, the latest strike was particularly serious, as it lasted so long that Hungary almost had to tap into its strategic reserves.
The banned Ukrainian commander’s name was Robert Brovdy, local online portal Mandiner reported, citing a statement from the immigration authority. The entry ban will be effective for three years.
Ukraine had launched three such attacks in recent weeks, targeting the Druzhba pipeline, all of which disrupted Hungary’s energy supply. Last week, Szijjarto confirmed the crude oil delivery suspension after the overnight attack at the Russian-Belarusian border, describing it as another attack against Hungary’s energy security and “an attempt to drag us into the war.”
Deliveries through the pipeline are scheduled to restart on Thursday in test mode.
In response to the attacks, Szijjarto said: “Ukraine knows perfectly well that attacks against the Druzhba pipeline harm not Russia, but primarily Hungary and Slovakia.” He called on Ukraine “not to attack the oil pipeline supplying Hungary in the future, and not to endanger the security of our energy supply.”
Last week, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Szijjarto, together with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, sent a joint letter to senior European Union (EU) officials, urging the European Commission to take immediate action following an attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline at the Russian-Belarusian border.
“This vital pipeline has been attacked for the third time, and now oil deliveries to Hungary and Slovakia will stop for at least five days,” Szijjarto wrote.
Crude oil deliveries to Hungary were suspended again following the overnight strike on the Druzhba pipeline, Szijjarto confirmed on August 22.
Despite the disruption, Hungarian oil and gas group MOL assured that regional supply security will be maintained, citing reserves and access to an alternative route via the Adriatic pipeline from Croatia.
In a Facebook post, Szijjarto denounced the incident as “a direct assault on the country’s energy security” and “an attempt to drag Hungary into the war,” adding that Hungary would continue to support peace efforts with all its strength while safeguarding its national interests.
(IANS)
