On Monday, October 20, 2025, a pair of explosions rocked two major oil refineries in Central and Eastern Europe—one in Romania and another in Hungary—sending shockwaves through an already tense regional energy landscape. The timing and nature of the incidents have fueled speculation, with officials and observers weighing everything from technical mishaps to the possibility of coordinated sabotage, all against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine and the European Union’s push to sever ties with Russian energy.
The first explosion erupted around 11:30 a.m. local time at the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery in Ploiești, southern Romania. According to Világgazdaság and The Kyiv Independent, the blast occurred in the industrial sewerage system during maintenance work, ejecting the hatch of a sewerage well. The refinery, owned by a subsidiary of the Russian energy giant Lukoil, had been offline since October 17 due to a scheduled technical inspection and a major shutdown for repairs. Despite the facility’s downtime, tragedy struck: a 57-year-old worker suffered serious leg and head injuries and was rushed to intensive care. No other injuries were reported, but the event left authorities and local residents shaken.
Petrotel-Lukoil is no minor player in Romania’s energy sector. With an annual processing capacity of 2.5 million tons, it stands as one of the country’s largest oil-processing facilities. Its ownership by Russian Lukoil has long made it a focal point in regional debates over energy security—especially as the European Union pushes member states to phase out Russian energy imports by 2028, albeit with some exemptions for landlocked nations like Hungary and Slovakia.
Later that same day, another incident unfolded at Hungary’s largest and most advanced oil refinery, the MOL facility in Százhalombatta, about 27 kilometers (17 miles) from Budapest. Local residents reported hearing a loud explosion and seeing thick plumes of smoke rising into the evening sky. According to Telex and Reuters, firefighters managed to contain the resulting blaze by the morning of October 21, preventing any injuries or fatalities. Nevertheless, operations at the refinery remained suspended as investigations continued, with the primary cause of the explosion still undetermined.
The Százhalombatta refinery is a linchpin in Hungary’s and Central Europe’s fuel networks, processing crude oil delivered via the Druzhba pipeline from Russia. The plant supplies not only the Hungarian domestic market but also significant quantities to Slovakia, making its smooth operation vital for regional energy stability. While the facility is not Russian-owned, its reliance on Russian crude underscores the complex web of energy dependencies that still bind parts of Eastern Europe to Moscow, despite the EU’s broader divestment efforts.
Authorities in both Romania and Hungary have launched investigations into the cause of the explosions. In Romania, officials have been careful not to rule anything out. As Világgazdaság reported, “It is not yet clear what happened, no scenario can be ruled out.” Potential explanations range from technical failure to human error, but given the recent uptick in attacks on energy infrastructure amid the Russia-Ukraine war, the possibility of “organized action” or sabotage is also being considered. The timing—two major incidents within hours of one another, both at facilities linked to Russian oil—has only intensified suspicions.
These events are part of a broader pattern of escalating attacks and disruptions targeting energy infrastructure across the region. On the same day as the refinery explosions, Russia’s Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery, a key part of Rosneft’s Samara group, suspended operations following a drone attack. According to Reuters, this strike halted primary crude oil processing at the facility in Volga Oblast. Such attacks have become increasingly common since mid-2025, as Ukraine has ramped up its campaign of long-range drone strikes against Russian refining and energy assets. Analysts cited by Világgazdaság estimate that these operations have knocked out up to 21 percent of Russia’s refining capacity by the end of August, slashing fuel exports and squeezing Russian revenues.
Ukraine’s campaign hasn’t been limited to Russian territory. The country has also been implicated in sabotage attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in allied countries. Notably, Poland recently refused to extradite a Ukrainian citizen accused of involvement in the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, citing the general nature of the charges and the fact that the incident occurred in international waters. The decision sparked outrage in some quarters. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, for example, called it “scandalous,” writing, “According to Poland, if you don’t like infrastructure in Europe, you can blow it up. With this, they gave advance permission for terrorist attacks in Europe. Poland has not only released but is celebrating a terrorist—this is what European rule of law has come to.”
The political context is just as charged as the technical one. On the very day of the refinery explosions, EU energy ministers backed a proposal to phase out Russian energy imports by 2028, a move that’s been met with resistance from countries still heavily reliant on Russian supplies. Hungary and Slovakia, for instance, are set to receive limited exemptions due to their geographic and infrastructure constraints. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to pressure European countries—particularly Hungary—to cut off Russian oil imports altogether, even as it targets the Druzhba pipeline with drone strikes in a bid to cripple Moscow’s energy revenues.
For Hungary, the stakes are high. The Százhalombatta refinery’s dependence on Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline is a sticking point in its relationship with both the EU and Ukraine. Kyiv’s repeated strikes on the pipeline have provoked tense exchanges, with Hungary even going so far as to ban the commander of the Ukrainian unit responsible for the attacks from entering the country. It’s a vivid illustration of how the war in Ukraine has spilled over into the energy politics of Central and Eastern Europe, pitting allies against each other and raising the specter of further disruptions.
As investigations into the refinery explosions continue, officials are urging caution. While the possibility of sabotage cannot be dismissed, there’s also a long history of industrial accidents at oil refineries, where complex machinery and volatile chemicals can make for a dangerous mix even in peacetime. Still, the broader context—the war, the EU’s energy transition, and the recent string of attacks on critical infrastructure—ensures that every incident is viewed through a lens of suspicion and geopolitical intrigue.
For now, both the Petrotel-Lukoil and Százhalombatta facilities remain under scrutiny, their fates intertwined with the shifting currents of European energy policy and the relentless pressures of war. The region’s energy security, once taken for granted, now seems more fragile than ever.