Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has no information about visit by European engineers to inspect Druzhba oil pipeline

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has no confirmed information about the arrival in Ukraine of a delegation of European engineers to examine sections of the Druzhba pipeline damaged by Russian shelling, and decisions on allowing foreigners access to strategic facilities during martial law are made by the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU).

The MFA spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi stated this at a briefing on Wednesday, March 18, Ukrinform's correspondent reports.

"I am not aware of any specific agreements or dates for the trip [of a delegation of European engineers to Ukraine]... I have seen these reports, but I do not know where they originate," Tykhyi said. He recalled that the European Commission had previously approached the Ukrainian side with requests regarding approximate timelines for repairing the Druzhba oil pipeline, which was damaged as a result of Russian strikes.

"Clarifications regarding these timelines were provided to the European Commission in a timely manner by the Ukrainian side," he noted.

"There is currently a lot of information circulating in the media about allowing or not allowing certain people direct access to the Druzhba pipeline facilities. I can simply remind you that under martial law, granting or denying access to strategic facilities, especially for foreign nationals, is a matter for the Security Service of Ukraine," Tykhyi added.

Earlier, Suspilne, citing its own sources, reported that a small delegation of European engineers had arrived in Ukraine and intended to inspect the damaged sections of the Druzhba pipeline on March 18.

As Ukrinform previously reported, the European Union offered Ukraine assistance and funding to speed up repair work on the Druzhba pipeline amid Hungary's uncompromising stance. Hungary continues to block an EU loan for Ukraine and the 20th sanctions package against Russia, linking both issues to the restoration of oil transit through Ukrainian territory.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, confirmed that Ukraine remains a reliable energy partner for the EU and rejected accusations of deliberately obstructing the restoration of oil transit via the Druzhba pipeline.