Hungary alleges plot to blow up gas pipeline ahead of election

Hungary Alleges Plot to Blow Up Gas Pipeline Ahead of Election

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called an urgent session of the National Defence Council after explosive materials were uncovered near a critical gas pipeline that delivers Russian energy to Hungary. The find, located in a border region with Serbia, coincides with Orban’s ruling party facing declining support in recent opinion polls ahead of key elections on 30 April. Opposition leader Peter Magyar has criticized Orban, suggesting the leader is using “panic-mongering” tactics with the help of “Russian advisers,” following warnings from security analysts about a potential “false flag” attack that could shift blame to Ukraine.

Orban, a longstanding ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has consistently resisted EU pressure to reduce reliance on Russian energy since the invasion of Ukraine. In recent weeks, Hungarian experts have speculated that a coordinated operation—whether on Hungarian or Serbian soil—might aim to sway public opinion in favor of Orban’s Fidesz party or provide a pretext to delay the vote. Serbian President Alexander Vucic, a close political partner of Orban, informed him of the discovery early Sunday, revealing two rucksacks filled with explosives and detonators near the village of Tresnjevac in Kanjiza district, approximately 20km from the TurkStream pipeline’s entry point into Hungary.

“Our units discovered an explosive of devastating power,” Vucic stated in an Instagram post. “I have assured PM Orban we will provide regular updates as the investigation progresses.” Hungary relies on between five and eight billion cubic metres of Russian gas annually, with both Hungary and Slovakia dependent on the TurkStream pipeline for supply. Balint Pasztor, head of the Vojvodina Hungarian Association, and another key Orban supporter claimed on Facebook that if the attack proved not to target Hungary directly but its energy infrastructure, it would validate the claim that the assault was orchestrated to undermine Orban’s political position.

Fidesz has framed anti-Ukrainian sentiment as central to its electoral strategy. At campaign events, Orban emphasized that Hungary’s low heating and fuel costs stem from affordable Russian oil and gas, which enter the country via Ukraine and the Balkans. He accused a supposed “Kyiv-Brussels-Berlin” alliance of conspiring to block cheap Russian fuel, aiming to install his political rival, Peter Magyar, as prime minister. Orban warned that a Magyar government would thrust Hungary into a European conflict with Russia.

Orban has already blamed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a “blockade” on Russian oil, citing the Druzhba pipeline’s disruption since January. Ukraine maintains the line was damaged in a Russian strike and expects it to resume operations by mid-April. No formal accusations of Ukrainian involvement in the pipeline incident have been made yet. A Serbian official hinted to the BBC that the first results of the investigation might reveal the attack’s origins as early as Monday.

On 2 April, Hungarian security analyst Andras Racz cautioned on Facebook that a “fake attack” on the TurkStream pipeline could be staged within Serbia. He predicted the explosives would be traced back to Ukraine, allowing Orban to deflect blame to Kyiv. “We had solid preliminary information about this operation, including the location and timing,” said former senior counter-intelligence officer Peter Buda. “Ukraine’s interests aren’t at risk here. This attack would help Orban shape public perception before the election.”

The Hungarian government asserts the threat is genuine. “In recent weeks, we’ve witnessed everything,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook. “The Ukrainians orchestrated an oil blockade. Then they launched drone strikes at the TurkStream pipeline while it was still on Russian soil. Now, we have this latest incident, where Serbian colleagues found the means to destroy it.” Magyar, however, accused Orban and Vucic of colluding to stage the event, framing it as a calculated move to bolster his political position.