Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban convened an emergency defence council meeting on Sunday after powerful explosives were discovered near a Russian gas pipeline in Serbia. The pipeline, located outside the town of Kanjiza close to the Hungarian border, carries gas to Hungary and other Central European countries. The incident has sparked political debate ahead of Hungary's national elections on April 12.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, a close ally of Orban, informed the Hungarian leader by phone about the find. “Our units found an explosive of devastating power,” Vucic posted on Instagram. “I told PM Orban that we would keep him updated on the investigation.” Both countries have since strengthened security around the pipeline, part of the TurkStream system that transports Russian gas through the Balkans to Central and Eastern Europe. Heads of Serbia’s Military Intelligence Agency, Djuro Jusic, stated the explosives were produced in the United States and linked the plot to a person from a migrant community with military training, whom authorities are now searching for. Orban described the discovery as a prepared act of sabotage. Without directly accusing Ukraine, he noted that “Ukraine has been for years trying to cut off Europe from Russian energy” and highlighted attacks on the Russian section of TurkStream as a “life-threatening danger to Hungary.” Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto echoed this, claiming on Facebook that Ukraine had organized an oil blockade via the Druzhba pipeline and attempted a total energy blockade, leading to Sunday’s incident. Opposition leader Peter Magyar of the Tisza party questioned the timing, suggesting it aimed to boost Orban’s prospects amid polls showing his Fidesz party trailing. “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 said. A former Hungarian intelligence official told Reuters of discussions in security circles about a potential “false-flag” operation to sway the vote. Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi rejected any involvement, calling it “most probably, a Russian false-flag operation as part of Moscow’s heavy interference in Hungarian elections.” Moscow has voiced support for Hungary, pointing to Ukraine as responsible.