- Since the beginning of February, there have been reports about the Ukrainian armed forces shelling the Druzhba oil pipeline and its infrastructure
According to TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency article published on May 11, 2023, a Russian oil pipeline operator confirmed reports about an attempt to carry out a terrorist act on the Druzhba oil pipeline system.
"Indeed, early this morning there was an attempt to commit a terrorist act against the Druzhba oil pipeline system at the Bryansk loading station. No one was injured as a result. The competent authorities are investigating the circumstances of the incident," Transneft spokesman Igor Dyomin told TASS on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Baza Telegram channel reported that in the early morning of May 10, the loading point of the Druzhba oil pipeline in the village of Sven came under fire. The strikes hit three empty oil storage tanks. There were no leaks or fires, and no one was hurt.
The Druzhba oil pipeline provides oil supplies to Belarusian refineries and transports them to Europe. The pipeline starts in the Samara region, passes through Bryansk and then forks into northern and southern branches, passes through Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, and Hungary.
Since the beginning of February, there have been reports about the Ukrainian armed forces shelling the Druzhba oil pipeline and its infrastructure.
In particular, on February 1, Dyomin told TASS about an attempt to shell the Novozybkov oil pumping station in the Bryansk region on the evening of January 31.
Later, on February 3, the Mash Telegram channel reported that the Ukrainian armed forces had allegedly attacked the infrastructure of the oil pipeline, but Transneft said they had no information about any attacks, and that Druzhba was operating normally again. In mid-March, Transneft discovered explosive devices at the Novozybkov oil pumping station, but the station was not damaged.
