Serbia Intercepts Bomb Plot on Russian Gas Pipeline to Hungary

(MENAFN) Serbian authorities have intercepted explosives planted near a major gas pipeline supplying Russian energy to Hungary, according to reports. President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed that he briefed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the situation. The discovery comes amid reduced Russian oil flows to Hungary due to Ukrainian actions.

Vucic stated that “two large packages of explosives with sticks” were found in the municipality of Kanjiza, roughly 10 kilometers from the Hungarian border. The area is close to the Balkan Stream pipeline, the regional extension of TurkStream, which transports gas through Türkiye, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Hungary, ending near Slovakia. Hungary relies on this route for 7.4–7.6 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

Praising Serbian intelligence for their work, Vucic said the country would “deal mercilessly with anyone who thinks they are endangering the vital infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia,” while promising heightened energy security in the region. He did not assign responsibility for the plot but emphasized that a detonation would have caused significant outages in both Hungary and northern Serbia.

Orban confirmed his conversation with Vucic, stating that “the investigation is ongoing” and that he convened an emergency defense council. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Budapest “firmly reject[s] this latest attack, as undermining the security of our energy supply is an attack on our sovereignty.”

Following the Defense Council meeting, Orban ordered military protection for the pipeline, with soldiers assigned to safeguard the route and all transfer points from the Serbian-Hungarian border to the Hungarian-Slovak border to ensure uninterrupted energy delivery.

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