Kyiv also signed the document: the Hungarian company MOL Group reached an agreement on the transportation of crude oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia via the “Druzhba” pipeline

The Hungarian oil and gas company Mol Group has signed agreements with suppliers and pipeline operators for the transit of crude oil via the southern branch of the “Druzhba” pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia through Belarus and Ukraine.

According to a statement by the company, published on the Budapest Stock Exchange website, once the transported oil reaches the Belarusian-Ukrainian border, it will be considered Mol’s property.

The agreements came into effect on September 9. The statement emphasizes that the agreements fully comply with sanction regulations, including those imposed by the European Union and Ukraine.

“The new agreement provides a sustainable solution for the transportation of crude oil via the ‘Druzhba’ pipeline. I consider this a significant achievement, as it allows Mol to continue using the most efficient and reliable technology for processing crude oil at refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, ultimately contributing to the security of supply in both countries,” said Gabriel Szabó, Vice President of Mol Group.

Mol previously had a contract with Lukoil, under which the Russian company was to supply 4 million tons of oil annually via the southern branch of the “Druzhba” pipeline until 2025. However, in June, Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council expanded sanctions against Lukoil to include transit, resulting in the cessation of Russian oil supplies.

At the end of August, Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, stated that Ukraine would completely stop the transit of both Russian gas and oil next year. Later that same day, Podolyak retracted his statement and confirmed that Kyiv would fulfill its obligations regarding the transit of Russian oil to Europe in full until the contracts expire.