• The Druzhba Pipeline is one of the world's major crude-oil pipeline systems.

  • The name Druzhba means “Friendship” in Russian.

  • It was developed during the Soviet era to transport crude oil from Russia toward Central and Eastern Europe.

  • The system has branches serving countries including:

    • Belarus

    • Ukraine

    • Poland

    • Hungary

    • Slovakia

    • Czech Republic

  • It has major significance for European energy security.

  • The pipeline has also become geopolitically significant because of the Russia–Ukraine conflict and European efforts to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

Key Pointers

  • Meaning: Friendship

  • Commodity: Crude oil

  • Origin: Russia

  • Region: Eastern/Central Europe

  • UPSC angle: Energy security + geopolitics + sanctions