Backpacks with explosives were found this Sunday, April 5, in Kanjiza, northern Serbia, near the route of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, which supplies Russian gas to this country and neighboring Hungary, announced Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.
The case is already having an impact on the campaign for the Hungarian legislative elections, scheduled for the 12th and in which the populist prime minister, Viktor Orbán (Fidesz), could be defeated by the opposition leader, the conservative Péter Magyar, from Tisza, according to polls.
Two backpacks, which contained “large packages of explosives and detonators”, were found by police and the army “a few hundred meters from the gas pipeline”, said Vucic, who praised “the good work” of the Serbian secret services.
“I have informed the Hungarian Prime Minister about the first elements of the investigation carried out by our military and police authorities into the threat to this critical gas infrastructure,” he added, without mentioning possible suspects or motives.
The Serbian president – who, like Orbán, is close to Moscow – limited himself to mentioning the existence of traces, without elaborating, and stated that the explosive had the capacity to “threaten many lives” and cause significant damage to the pipeline.
“There are certain remains that I cannot talk about. There is a large area of land, also a large lake, so the search took a long time and the helicopters were a great help. But geopolitical games do not leave us alone and that is why we must demonstrate our maximum combat capability. We will act decisively against anyone who we believe threatens the vital infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia”, underlined the president, who was speaking to the press during a visit to the Expo2027 site in Belgrade.
Vucic added that the protection of key energy infrastructures has been strengthened and all necessary measures are being taken to prevent potential threats.
The Hungarian Prime Minister announced that this pipeline is “an essential gas infrastructure” and indicated that he would convene the Hungarian National Defense Council this afternoon.
In a post on social media, the leader of the Hungarian opposition demanded to be present at the meeting.
“I ask the Prime Minister to inform me about the developments, without delay, and to invite me to the Defense Council meeting, as the situation will have to be resolved by the Tisza Government”, he said, in an allusion to the possible electoral victory next Sunday.
Magyar also asked that this event not prevent the elections from taking place.
“I emphasize that they will not be able to prevent next Sunday’s elections. He will not be able to prevent millions of Hungarians from ending the two most corrupt decades in the history of our country”, he added, in a reference to Orbán’s 16 years at the head of the Hungarian Government.
“If Viktor Orbán and his propaganda use this provocation for a campaign purpose, it will be an open admission that this is a pre-planned operation,” he added.
The Balkan Stream, an extension of the Turk Stream that passes under the Black Sea, is intended to transport Russian gas to Serbia and Hungary.
Serbia largely depends on it, since the vast majority of its gas comes from Russia, at a price much lower than the European market.
A candidate for membership in the European Union (EU), it is one of the few countries on the continent that did not impose sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and is still seen as an ally of Moscow.
Hungary also depends on Russian gas and oil imports.
In recent weeks, Viktor Orbán has accused Kiev of deliberately delaying repairs to the Druzhba oil pipeline, which passes through Ukraine.
Kiev said the structure, which transports Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, was damaged by Russian attacks in late January.
In retaliation, Orbán decided to block a 90 billion euro loan from the EU to Ukraine.
Hungarian opposition figures and European leaders accused Orbán of giving exaggerated importance to the pipeline case to boost his campaign for next Sunday’s elections. Orbán rejected these accusations.
The Hungarian leader has repeatedly attacked Ukraine, accusing Kiev of trying to disrupt the energy security of Hungary, which, like Slovakia, continues to import Russian gas.
Hungary reinforces gas pipeline protection
Hungary has meanwhile strengthened military control of the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, announced Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who accuses Ukraine of wanting to cut off Russian energy supplies.
“According to the information we have, a sabotage action was being prepared on the Vojvodina section of the gas pipeline that supplies Hungary,” said Orbán, in a video statement broadcast on social media, at the end of an emergency meeting of the Defense Council, which took place in the early afternoon.
In the same statement, the Hungarian Prime Minister stated that “Ukraine’s ambitions pose a life-threatening danger to Hungary”after indicating that 60% of the gas consumed in the country is imported through this pipeline.
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