Croatia has rejected transporting Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, while flows via Ukraine are halted

Croatia has declined a request from Hungary and Slovakia to transport Russian oil through its territory, Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar said on Sunday. Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced that Budapest and Bratislava had asked Zagreb to facilitate shipments via the Adria pipeline after deliveries through Ukraine were disrupted. Russian crude had been flowing to the two countries through the Druzhba pipeline, but Ukrainian officials say those shipments have been halted since late January amid continued Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Szijjártó, however, accused Kyiv of cutting off the flow for “political reasons.”

Šušnjar said Croatia will not allow Central Europe’s fuel supply to be jeopardized and pledged to help address the disruption in line with European Union law and U.S. Treasury (OFAC) regulations. He argued that EU member states no longer have “technical excuses” for staying dependent on Russian oil. “A barrel bought from Russia may seem cheaper,” he said, “but it helps finance war and attacks against the Ukrainian people. It’s time to end that war profiteering.” In response, Szijjártó and Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková sent a joint letter to Zagreb, noting that EU sanctions exemptions allow their countries to import Russian oil by sea if pipeline deliveries are interrupted. “Energy security must never become an ideological issue,” Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary expects Croatia “not to endanger” its oil supply for political reasons.

The dispute centers on the Druzhba pipeline—one of the largest in the world, with a capacity of roughly 2 million barrels per day—which carries crude from Russian oil fields to refineries across Europe. Hungary and Slovakia are now the only EU countries still receiving Russian oil through the system. Tensions between Kyiv and Budapest escalated further last week after Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha posted an image of a section of the Druzhba pipeline burning following a rare Russian strike on Ukrainian territory.

Ukrainian forces have also targeted parts of the pipeline inside Russia. “Hungary made no protest to Russia about it. They could not even pronounce the word ‘Russia,’” Sybiha wrote on X.

“The truth is that Moscow stopped being a reliable supplier the moment it launched its aggression against Ukraine—and that aggression is the root cause of all these problems.”

Over 1,500 apartment buildings remain without heating in Kyiv after Russian attacks

More than 1,500 apartment buildings in Kyiv are without heat as subzero temperatures grip the city, and many may remain that way for the rest of winter. Kateryna Pop, a spokesperson for the Kyiv City Military Administration, said February 16 that repeated Russian missile and drone strikes on critical infrastructure have severely damaged facilities that supply heating, electricity, and water. Authorities continue rolling blackouts to stabilize the strained power grid.

About 1,100 of the affected buildings are in two densely populated districts, Dniprovskyi and Darnytskyi, on the east bank of the Dnipro River, where a strike on a key energy site caused long-term damage. Officials say heating cannot be restored to many of those buildings this season, which officially runs from November 1 to March 31. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that the February 12 attack alone left 2,600 high-rise buildings without heat, while hundreds of buildings remain under repair.

Russian oil exports to China hit a record high

Russian crude oil exports to China are projected to hit a new record high in February for the third month in a row, as Chinese buyers snap up discounted cargoes after India sharply cut back its purchases, according to traders and ship-tracking data. Estimates from energy analytics firms show China could be importing around 2.07–2.08 million barrels per day of Russian oil in February, up from about 1.7 million in January.

India, which had been one of Russia’s biggest customers, has reduced its imports to roughly 1.159 million barrels per day, the lowest in about two years, as Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine and diplomatic pressure—including efforts by the U.S.—have pushed New Delhi to diversify away from Russian crude.

The steep cuts in Indian demand have pushed Russian oil prices $9–$11 below the global Brent benchmark, creating unusually low pricing that Chinese independent refiners, often called “teapots,” find attractive. Alongside Russia’s flagship ESPO blend, other grades like Sokol and Varandey are also being sent to China, intensifying competition with other suppliers such as Iran.

Ukraine has received 4.4 million artillery shells under the Czech-led initiative

Ukrainian forces have received roughly 4.4 million large-caliber artillery shells through a Czech-led ammunition initiative launched last year, according to Czech President Petr Pavel. In an interview with Czech outlet Odkryto, Pavel said nearly 2 million of those rounds were delivered in 2025 alone. He noted that the program has accounted for more than half of all large-caliber ammunition supplied to Ukraine, calling it vital to Kyiv’s defense as no comparable alternative currently exists.

The initiative, launched in February 2024, focuses on sourcing 155mm and 122mm artillery shells from countries outside the European Union and quickly channeling them to Ukraine. Pavel said Czechia not only helped initiate the effort but also coordinated financing, logistics, and procurement networks to secure ammunition globally at competitive prices. At least 15 allied nations are financially participating in the project, which Pavel described as a successful example of multinational cooperation.

Addressing criticism at home, Pavel said there is no evidence of corruption or misuse of funds. From the outset, Czechia invited major donor countries to send auditors to oversee spending and ensure transparency. The program has drawn support from more than 18 countries, including the Netherlands, Canada, Germany, France, and Poland, with each nation independently deciding how much funding to provide and what types of ammunition to purchase for delivery to Ukraine.