Ukraine Damages Pipeline That Feeds Russia's Black Sea Ports

Ukraine has taken its attacks on Russian oil export infrastructure further upstream, hitting a major pipeline pumping station belonging to the Russian midstream giant Transneft. The company handles about 80 percent of Russian oil exports, and its pipeline network is essential for moving crude from far-flung oilfields to seaports for loading.

On Monday morning, Russian officials confirmed a Ukrainian attack on the pumping station at Almetyevsk, Russia, about 700 miles from the Ukrainian front lines. According to Ukraine's military, more than 35 drone strike aircraft navigated through more than 900 miles of Russian airspace to reach the target. Russia's defense ministry has acknowledged shooting down drones in the region, but has not confirmed any damage. Videos from the scene show billowing flames and smoke around the pumping station.

The station is a critical waypoint on the Druzhba pipeline network, which gathers oil from prolific fields in central Russia and Siberia to pump to Eastern Europe and to the loading terminals at Novorossiysk and Tuapse, Russia. Ukraine has repeatedly struck these export terminals in hopes of limiting Russian oil sales, with some success. This week's strike on the Druzhba pumping station appears to be having an effect as well: Reuters reports that Transneft has been forced to temporarily reduce intake into its pipeline network by 250,000 barrels per day.

Druzhba is best known for its role in supplying refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, which continue to accept Russian oil at a discounted price, and it is at the center of an internal EU dispute over aid to Ukraine. On Monday, Hungary refused to give its approval to a 90 billion euro loan from the EU to Kyiv, reversing its prior commitment and angering EU leaders; the down-vote also scuppered a planned ban on all EU maritime services for Russian oil shipping. Hungarian leader Victor Orban's stated reason for the "no" vote was an ongoing interruption in service on the Ukrainian stretch of the Druzhba pipeline, which was damaged in a Russian strike in January and remains shut down. Slovakia's Prime Minister, Robert Fico, joined in the protest vote.

Monday's deliberate Ukrainian strike on a Russian segment of the pipeline system has been seen as a retort to Hungary and a sign of defiance - and the Armed Forces of Ukraine made the connection in its announcement.

"The [Almetyevsk] station ensures critical pressure and uninterrupted pumping of raw materials directly into the Druzhba oil pipeline, as well as to the oil refineries of Tatarstan. Now we can expect the whining of Orbán and Fico," the AFU said in a statement.