Hungary to deploy troops to guard gas pipeline following alleged sabotage attempt in Serbia

The Hungarian government will deploy military personnel to guard the Hungarian section of a gas pipeline following an alleged sabotage attempt on Serbian territory.

Source: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, as reported by European Pravda, citing Index

Details: Following a security meeting convened by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Szijjártó posted a video statement on Facebook summing up the discussions.

He stated that following the meeting, Orbán instructed that the Hungarian section of TurkStream be placed under military guard.

According to Szijjártó, military personnel will guard the pipeline along its entire length from the Serbian-Hungarian border to the Hungarian-Slovak border.

Szijjártó added that he had held talks with the energy ministers of Serbia, Türkiye and Russia, and they had "agreed that the pipeline should be guarded more carefully than ever".

Background:

• Szijjártó also hinted that Ukraine may be implicated in the foiled "sabotage". Kyiv has categorically rejected these accusations.
• On 5 April, Serbia reported an attempted act of sabotage on the pipeline leading to Hungary. Large packages containing explosives and detonators were allegedly found nearby.
• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán subsequently convened a meeting of the Defence Council.
• Notably, long before this, Hungary had reinforced the protection of its energy infrastructure, allegedly due to the "Ukrainian threat", and Serbia had deployed armed forces personnel to guard the infrastructure that ensures gas transit to Hungary.
• Orbán's main rival, Tisza opposition party leader Péter Magyar, believes the alleged foiled pipeline sabotage in Serbia was staged, potentially with the aim of disrupting the Hungarian elections.

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