Explosives Discovered Near Serbian Pipeline Carrying Russian Gas to Hungary
Powerful explosives have been found near a critical pipeline in Serbia that transports Russian natural gas to Hungary, triggering immediate political alarm in Budapest. This discovery occurs just days before a pivotal national election in Hungary, intensifying scrutiny during a highly sensitive period.
Location and Communication Between Leaders
The explosive devices were reportedly located outside the town of Kanjiza, situated close to Serbia's border with Hungary. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a close ally of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, personally informed Orban of the find via telephone.
"Our units found an explosive of devastating power," Vucic stated in an Instagram post. "I told PM Orban that we would keep him updated on the investigation." Officials did not provide further details about the explosives or release images of the discovery on the pipeline section linked to the Turkstream system, which carries Russian gas to Turkey and then onward to Central Europe.
Political Context and Election Implications
This incident unfolds one week before crucial elections scheduled for April 12 in Hungary, where nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban is fighting to maintain his more than 16-year grip on power. Recent polls indicate his party is trailing behind the opposition Tisza party.
Tisza leader Peter Magyar expressed skepticism about the leaders' statements, suggesting they appeared designed to boost Orban's electoral prospects. "Several people have publicly indicated that something will 'accidentally' happen at the gas pipeline in Serbia at Easter, a week before the Hungarian elections. And so it happened," Magyar remarked in a statement.
Security Concerns and Allegations
Orban announced he had called an extraordinary defence council meeting on Sunday to discuss the pipeline incident, which transports Russian gas through the Balkans to Central and Eastern Europe. In February, Orban escalated security around Hungarian energy infrastructure by deploying troops, citing alleged plans by Ukraine to disrupt the system—charges that Kyiv has denied.
A former Hungarian intelligence official revealed to Reuters that discussions had occurred in Hungarian security circles in recent days about a precise plan for a "false-flag" operation targeting the pipeline in Serbia, potentially aimed at influencing the Hungarian vote.
International Reactions and Accusations
Hungary remains an outlier within the European Union for maintaining ties with Moscow. Russia voiced support for Hungary regarding Sunday's incident and implied Ukrainian responsibility. "(Ukraine) wants to deprive Hungary of its sovereignty," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told the TASS news agency, alleging Ukraine is using energy tactics "by trying to prevent Hungary from receiving high-quality and reasonably priced resources."
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto did not directly accuse Ukraine of involvement but did not rule it out. "In the past few days and weeks, the Ukrainians organised an oil blockade against us, and then tried to put us under a total energy blockade ... And now we have today's incident," he posted on Facebook. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the allegations.
Broader Energy and Political Disputes
Budapest has been engaged in a dispute with Ukraine over a halt in oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline. Orban's Fidesz party has attempted to link opposition leader Peter Magyar with Brussels and Ukraine, insinuating that voting for his Tisza party equates to supporting tanks and war.
Officials in both Budapest and Belgrade did not respond to requests for comment about the incident and surrounding questions, leaving many aspects of this developing story unresolved as the Hungarian election approaches.
