Critical Part Of Hungary & Slovakia's Russian Oil Flows Has Just Been Blown Up
Ukraine's long-range drone campaign has reportedly once again struck at the heart of Russia's energy artery, igniting a fire at a key Transneft oil pumping station in the republic of Tatarstan early Monday.
Regional officials confirmed the incident after local media and Telegram channels first reported explosions near the strategic facility, with authorities announcing: "as a result of falling drone debris, a local fire broke out in an industrial zone."
No casualties resulted from the blasts which took place around 4am at the Kaleykino pumping station. A fire ensued after eyewitnesses reported hearing some seven explosions.
Ukrainian media has cited a source who described, "Tonight, long-range SBU drones caused a 'bavovna' (explosion) at the main oil pumping station 'Kaleykino' near Almetyevsk in Tatarstan. It receives oil from Western Siberia and the Volga region and mixes it before sending it for export. The station is a key hub for supplying raw materials to the 'Druzhba' oil pipeline."
The Moscow Times also notes:
Kaleykino serves as a critical receiving and mixing terminal that aggregates crude oil flows from several Russian regions and facilitates the transport of nearly 30% of the country’s crude oil toward major export routes like the Druzhba pipeline.
The Druzhba-1 station at Kaleikino, a critical part of the Druzhba oil pipeline for Hungary and Slovakia for Russian oil, has just been blown up. Now who would stand to gain the most for punishing Hungary and Slovakia? pic.twitter.com/k4lEsmYOlW
— ColonelTowner-Watkins (@ColonelTowner) February 23, 2026
Druzhba has been featured heavily in the news of late, given oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia via Druzhba were halted after a Jan. 27 airstrike on equipment in western Ukraine.
Ukraine blamed the attack on Moscow, while Hungary is blaming Kiev for deliberately not repairing the pipeline because it doesn't want it to supply Budapest, or Slovakia, with Russian oil. A political firestorm has ensued ever since.
The controversy has led the Orban government to on Monday block the EU's proposed €90 billion loan package for Ukraine and also it vetoed the 20th round of anti-Moscow sanctions.
Interesting timing, to say the least...
The Druzhba-1 station at Kaleikino, a rather important part of the Druzhba oil pipeline through which Hungary and Slovakia hope to get their Russian oil, has just been blown to smithereens and most likely won't be supplying Hungary and Slovakia with oil again anytime soon. pic.twitter.com/7M3aezultz
— Daractenus (@Daractenus) February 23, 2026
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has been very open about its cross-border aims regarding attacks on Russian energy, with a Ukrainian SBU official boasting as follows:
"The SBU is systematically working to cut down on the extraction and transportation of Russian oil. Our special operations are methodically reducing the filling of the Russian budget with petrodollars, which finance the war against Ukraine. This work will continue to exhaust and gradually bleed the Russian economy."
At the same time, Hungary and Slovakia's stances as disrupters of EU policy have been a big 'win' for Moscow.