Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv condemns ‘blackmail’ by Hungary and Slovakia in energy supplies dispute

Ukraine's foreign ministry condemned what it described as 'ultimatums and blackmail' by Hungary and Slovakia on Saturday, after both countries threatened to stop electricity supplies unless Kyiv restarts flows of Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline, with Hungary additionally threatening to block a €90bn Ukrainian war loan amid an escalating energy dispute that has become one of the angriest conflicts yet between Ukraine and two neighboring EU and NATO members. The dispute stems from the suspension of Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia since January 27, when Kyiv claimed a Russian drone strike damaged pipeline equipment in western Ukraine, though both neighboring countries accuse Ukraine of delaying the restart without evidence. Ukrainian officials strongly rejected these accusations, stating in a formal statement that 'ultimatums should be sent to the Kremlin, and certainly not to Kyiv,' highlighting how Hungary and Slovakia are the only remaining EU members still heavily reliant on Russian oil transported through Ukrainian territory. Explosions rocked Ukraine's capital Kyiv early Sunday morning, with officials warning of a possible ballistic missile attack and urging residents to seek shelter shortly before 4am local time, followed by several loud blasts as air defense units engaged drones detected over the wider Kyiv region. In a separate incident overnight, the western Ukrainian city of Lviv experienced what local authorities described as an 'act of terror' after explosions killed a policewoman and wounded at least 15 people, with the blasts occurring as police responded to a break-in report at a shop in the city center. Both incidents occurred as Ukraine marked day 1,460 of the ongoing conflict with Russia, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that Western allies should immediately deploy noncombat troops to peaceful regions of Ukraine to demonstrate commitment to the nation's freedom and independence, while approximately 2,000 supporters marched in Paris chanting 'We support Ukraine against Putin, who is killing it' and calling for the confiscation of frozen Russian assets. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy meanwhile indicated that 'real opportunities to end war with dignity still exist,' calling for another round of peace talks 'very soon, as early as this February' and hinting at a potential fresh leaders' meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Ukraine confirmed using its domestically-made FP-5 'Flamingo' cruise missiles to strike a major missile factory in Russia's Udmurt Republic, injuring 11 people according to Russian officials, while also reporting a strike on a gas plant in Samara.