The research undercuts Orbán’s claims that continuing to buy Russian oil, despite European Union-wide efforts to phase out Russian fossil fuels, makes fuel cheaper for Hungarians. “The dependence on discounted Russian oil has not trickled down to consumers,” Martin Vladimirov, director of CSD’s energy and climate program, told CNN. The Czech Republic has since stopped buying Russian oil, but Hungary and Slovakia used the EU’s exemption to deepen their dependence. Last year, Russia accounted for over 92% of Hungary’s crude oil imports, up from 61% pre-invasion, the report said. Bernadett Szabo/ReutersHungary receives Russian crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, but it is also connected to the Adria pipeline, which runs through Croatia and pumps non-Russian crude oil from the Adriatic coast.

Source: Egypt Independent February 16, 2026 14:22 UTC