Druzhba oil pipeline may be operational within month or half – Zelenskyy

The Druzhba oil pipeline, seriously damaged by the Russians in late January, may be operational within a month and a half, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We can provide information that during these one and a half months, restoration [of the Druzhba oil pipeline] is possible… But this does not mean that what was destroyed will be restored, and some things can be done in parallel," the president said at a briefing following a meeting at the President’s Office on Thursday.

At the same time, he expressed concern that the provision of financial assistance to Ukraine by European Union countries depends on the restoration of Druzhba for oil supplies from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia.

"We will prepare everything, and the decision will then be up to them accordingly," the head of state added.