Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday (local time) said that two backpacks consisting of explosives were discovered near a Russian gas pipeline in Serbia, close to the border with Hungary, CNN reported.
Vucic said that the backpacks containing “two large packages of explosives with detonators” were found in Kanjiza, in northern Serbia, “a few hundred meters from the gas pipeline.”
According to the report, both Hungary and Serbia are heavily reliant on Russian energy supplies, putting them at odds with other European countries that are trying to reduce their dependence on Russia.
Serbian President informs Hungarian PM
Vucic noted that he had informed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban regarding the initial results of the investigation by Serbia’s military and police authorities into the threat to critical gas infrastructure.
Orban, who is currently in the middle of a bitter election campaign ahead of an upcoming national vote next weekend, in a post on X, said that he would convene an emergency defense council meeting.
Regarding the origin of the explosives, the Serbian President said that there were “certain traces” that he could not discuss immediately. He added that the explosives could have “endangered many lives” and caused significant damage to the pipeline.
Orban blames Ukraine
After the meeting, Orban said, “According to information that we have….there was an act of sabotage prepared,” and added that both countries have strengthened the protection of the pipeline.
Without accusing Ukraine directly for the incident in Serbia, the Hungarian PM said, “Ukraine has been for years trying to cut off Europe from Russian energy.” He went on to say that the Russian section of TurkStream is also being consistently attacked by the military. Kyiv’s efforts, according to Orban, pose a life-threatening danger to Hungary.
Earlier in February, Orban ramped up the 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, an allegation Ukraine rejected.
Budapest has also been locked in a dispute with Kyiv over the suspension of oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline.
Serbia and Hungary’s close ties with Russia
Both Belgrade and Budapest have had strong relations with Moscow. In March, Serbia secured an additional three months of gas imports from Russia after talks were held between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Serbian counterpart, Vucic.
As the two countries maintain close ties with Moscow, Hungary’s PM has repeatedly accused Ukraine of disrupting oil supplies flowing through a Russian pipeline that passes across its territory.
Earlier on Saturday (local time), Orban shared a video in which he warned that a “severe energy crisis is approaching, accelerating day by day.” The warning came amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. Orban called on the European Union to suspend sanctions on Russian energy imports. Hungary has used its exemption from EU sanctions to further increase its reliance on Russian fossil fuels.
Taking advantage of its own exemptions from the European Union, Budapest has further increased its reliance on Russia’s fossil fuel.
Orban has long clashed with the European Union bloc over several issues ranging from its relations with Moscow, its support for Kyiv, and immigration.
