Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday (local time) that two backpacks containing explosives were discovered near a Russian gas pipeline in Serbia, near the border with Hungary, CNN reported.
Vučić said backpacks containing “two large packages of explosives with detonators” were found in Kanjiza in northern Serbia, “several hundred meters from the gas pipeline”.
According to the report, both Hungary and Serbia are heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies, putting them at odds with other European countries that are trying to reduce their dependence on Russia.
Read also | Trump warns of Tuesday strikes on Iranian infrastructure amid Hormuz blockade
The Serbian President informed the Hungarian Prime Minister
Vucic noted that he informed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about the first results of the investigation by the Serbian military and police authorities regarding the threat to the critical gas infrastructure.
Orbán, who is currently in the midst of a fierce election campaign ahead of next weekend’s upcoming national vote, said in a post on X that he would call an emergency meeting of the Defense Council.
Regarding the origin of the explosives, the Serbian president said there were “certain clues” that he could not immediately discuss. He added that the explosives could have “endangered many lives” and caused significant damage to pipelines.
Orbán blames Ukraine
After the meeting, Orbán said: “According to the information we have…an act of sabotage was prepared,” adding that both countries had strengthened the protection of the pipeline.
Without blaming Ukraine directly for the incident in Serbia, the Hungarian prime minister said: “Ukraine has been trying to cut off Europe from Russian energy for years.” He went on to say that the Russian part of TurkStream is also constantly attacked by the military. According to Orbán, Kyiv’s efforts represent a life-threatening danger for Hungary.
Read also | Russia defiant oil supply report: ‘I have no intention of asking for permission’
In early February, Orbán increased security around the country’s energy infrastructure by deploying troops, Reuters reported, citing what he described as Ukrainian plans to disrupt Hungary’s energy system, which Ukraine has denied.
Budapest also got into a dispute with Kyiv over the suspension of oil supplies through the Druzhba pipeline.
Close relations of Serbia and Hungary with Russia
Both Belgrade and Budapest have strong relations with Moscow. In March, Serbia secured another three months of gas imports from Russia following talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Serbian counterpart Vucic.
As the two countries maintain close relations with Moscow, the Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly accused Ukraine of disrupting oil supplies flowing through a Russian pipeline that passes through its territory.
Earlier on Saturday (local time), Orban shared a video in which he warned that a “serious energy crisis is approaching and is accelerating day by day”. The warning came amid an ongoing war in the Middle East. Orbán called on the European Union to suspend sanctions on Russian energy imports. Hungary has used its exemptions from EU sanctions to further increase its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
Budapest, which has taken advantage of its own exemptions from the European Union, has further increased its dependence on Russian fossil fuel.
Orbán has long clashed with the European Union bloc over several issues, from his relations with Moscow, his support for Kyiv to immigration.
