Hungary alleges plot to blow up gas pipeline ahead of election
Hungary Alleges Plot to Destroy Gas Pipeline Ahead of Election
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban summoned an urgent session of the National Defence Council following the detection of explosives near the TurkStream gas pipeline, which delivers Russian energy to Hungary. The find in a border region with Serbia occurred as Orban’s ruling party faces declining support in pre-election polls. Opposition leader Peter Magyar criticized the prime minister, suggesting the alarm was engineered with “Russian advisers,” after security analysts raised concerns about a potential “false flag” attack attributed to Ukraine.
Orban, a long-standing ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has rejected EU efforts to phase out Russian energy imports since the Ukraine invasion. Recent intelligence assessments hint at a possible orchestrated operation, either on Hungarian or Serbian soil, aimed at bolstering Orban’s Fidesz party by either rallying public backing or providing a pretext to delay the election. Serbian President Alexander Vucic, a close partner of Orban, shared news of the discovery with him on Sunday morning.
Two rucksacks containing explosives and detonators were uncovered by Serbian military forces near the village of Tresnjevac in the Kanjiza district, approximately 20km from where the TurkStream pipeline enters Hungary. “Our forces discovered an explosive with immense destructive potential,” Vucic stated on Instagram. “I informed the prime minister that we would provide ongoing updates on the investigation.” The pipeline is critical for Hungary’s energy supply, with annual Russian gas deliveries ranging from five to eight billion cubic metres.
Opposition figures, including Balint Pasztor of the Vojvodina Hungarian Association, claimed the attack was designed to shift blame to Ukraine. “If the investigation confirms the pipeline was not the main target but Hungary’s energy infrastructure, it strengthens the case that the attack was intended to destabilize Viktor Orban’s leadership,” Pasztor asserted. Fidesz has positioned anti-Ukraine rhetoric as a key theme in its electoral strategy, with Orban emphasizing Hungary’s reliance on cheap Russian fuel and gas for low prices.
Accusations of a Strategic Attack
Orban accuses a “Kyiv-Brussels-Berlin” coalition of conspiring to undermine his government and install a “puppet” leader, Peter Magyar, in the upcoming vote. He warned that a Magyar-led administration would draw Hungary into a broader European conflict with Russia. The prime minister has also blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for an “oil blockade,” citing the absence of Russian crude via the Druzhba pipeline since January. Ukraine disputes this, stating the pipeline was damaged by Russian forces and is expected to resume operations by mid-April.
“We had solid preliminary information about this operation, including details about the location and timing,” said former Hungarian counter-intelligence officer Peter Buda. “It’s clear the attack serves Ukraine’s interests. This operation would help Orban sway public opinion before the election.”
No official claims of Ukrainian involvement have been confirmed yet. However, a Serbian source told the BBC the investigation might reveal ties to Kyiv as early as Monday, when Serbian authorities plan to share initial findings. Security analyst Andras Racz predicted the explosives would be linked to Ukraine, enabling Orban to reiterate his accusations against Kyiv.
