The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has summoned the Hungarian ambassador and handed him a note of protest over Budapest's discrimination against the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said on Thursday. He specifically mentioned the case of the commander of the Ukrainian drone unit, Robert Brovdi, known by the nickname Hungarian, whom Budapest banned from entering the country and the entire Schengen area of free movement due to attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia. Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski invited Brovdi to Poland in response to the Hungarian move.

CTK

"We urge Hungary to refrain from hostile actions and instead engage in a constructive dialogue, for which Ukraine remains ready," the head of Ukrainian diplomacy said on the X network. He was reacting to Budapest's decision, which was announced on the same social network by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó.

"In response to the latest Ukrainian attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline, the Hungarian government has decided to ban the commander of the responsible military unit from entering Hungary and the entire Schengen area," Szijjártó said.

Ukraine, which has been resisting large-scale Russian military aggression for the fourth year, has recently repeatedly attacked the Druzhba oil pipeline, which carries Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, which has sparked sharp criticism from the government of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky admitted to reporters on Sunday that Ukrainian drone attacks on the Druzhba oil pipeline in Russia were related to Orbán's opposition to Ukraine's accession to the European Union. Orbán subsequently threatened Kiev with long-term consequences. Szijjártó today called the strikes an attack on Hungarian sovereignty and a threat to the country's energy security.

Meanwhile, Hungarian energy company MOL and Slovak Economy Minister Denisa Saková announced on Thursday that Russian oil is flowing again through the Druzhba pipeline to both countries after the latest attack.

During the day, Zelensky ordered the Foreign Ministry to check information about the Hungarian sanctions against Commander Brovdi and respond accordingly."Now, when our people are dealing with the consequences of one of the largest Russian terrorist attacks, we see another attempt by Hungarian officials to pass off black as white and shift the blame for the ongoing war to Ukraine," Zelensky wrote. On Thursday night, Russia launched another large-scale attack on Ukraine, killing two dozen civilians, including children, in Kiev.

Attack on Druzhba pipeline

According to Zelensky, Hungary has not responded fairly to Russia's actions or shown sympathy for the deaths of Ukrainians, including children. Instead, according to him, new accusations against Ukraine are being made daily from Hungary, and Hungarian officials have gone so far as to try to discriminate against representatives of the Hungarian community in Ukraine for their participation in the defense of the Ukrainian state and people.

"If Hungary has indeed banned entry to Hungary and the entire Schengen area to one of the military commanders, who is an ethnic Hungarian and a citizen of Ukraine, then this can only cause indignation," the president said.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski joined the diplomatic rift between Kiev and Budapest on Thursday, inviting Brovdi to Poland on the X network in response to Budapest's move."While Russian missiles bring death to Kiev, Hungary is banning the entry of a brave ethnic Hungarian who dares to fight for the freedom of Ukraine," the Polish foreign minister wrote."To the commander of the Hungarians: If you need a little rest and Hungary won't let you in, be our guest in Poland," he added.

According to the Ukrainska Pravda server, Brovdi was born in the western Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia, but is of Hungarian origin. According to the same news website, he responded to Hungary's ban on entry to the Schengen area with a statement on the Telegram platform, where he made it clear that he did not care about the decision of the Orbán government."Stick the sanctions and restrictions on visiting Hungary up your ass, Mr. 'dancer on bones,'" Brovdi wrote.