Explosives found near pipeline supplying Russian gas to Hungary 'act of sabotage', says Viktor Orban

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has suggested explosives found near a pipeline supplying Russian gas to Hungary and Serbia was "an act of sabotage".

Two backpacks with "large packages of explosives" were left a few hundred metres from the Balkan Stream pipeline, according to Serbia's president Aleksandar Vucic.

It's an extension of the Turk Stream pipeline that carries gas from Russia under the Black Sea to Turkey.

Mr Vucic said millions could have been cut off if the explosives had detonated.

Mr Orban called an emergency defence council meeting on Sunday and claimed that the explosives were left there as "an act of sabotage".

Without directly blaming Ukraine for the incident on Sunday, Mr Orban said "Ukraine has been for years trying to cut off Europe from ‌Russian energy".

"The Russian section of TurkStream is also under continuous military attack. Ukraine's efforts pose a life-threatening danger to Hungary," he added.

His foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto called it an "attempted terrorist attack", adding it "fits right into the pattern of the Ukrainians' ongoing efforts to disrupt Russian gas and oil supplies to Europe".

Ukraine's foreign ministry strongly rejected ​the claims, with spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi writing on X: "Ukraine has nothing to do with this. Most probably, [it was] a Russian false-flag operation as part of Moscow's heavy interference in Hungarian elections."

The populist Hungarian prime minister has launched an aggressive anti-Ukraine media campaign ahead of a pivotal election in his country on 12 April, in which he has repeatedly accused Ukraine of seeking to drive up energy prices in Hungary.

Ukraine has always denied the accusations.

The timing of the explosives scare has prompted political scrutiny in Hungary, with Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, saying it appeared to be aimed at boosting Mr Orban's electoral prospects.

"Several people have publicly indicated that something will 'accidentally' happen at the ⁠gas pipeline in Serbia at Easter, a week before the Hungarian elections. And ⁠so it happened," he said in a statement.

Officials in Budapest and Belgrade have not commented ‌on the incident.

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The prime minister's party is currently behind in the polls, although many people say they are still undecided on who to back.

Mr Orban's latest accusations came as he called an emergency defence council meeting over the explosives on Sunday.

He said he had been informed about the discovery by Mr Vucic in a phone call.

Mr Vucic told reporters: "I just had a talk with Viktor Orban, and informed him that if the gas pipeline had been cut there, Hungary would not have had gas and we in northern Serbia would not have had gas."

Mr Vucic warned anyone trying to destroy Serbia's infrastructure would face a "merciless" response and "harsh and severe punishment".

On Instagram, he said the explosives potentially had "devastating power".

Mr Orban, who is seen as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest allies in Europe, increased security around the country's energy infrastructure in February and has framed the election as a choice between war or peace.

The Hungarian leader has often been a thorn in the side of other EU nations and last month blocked a €90bn loan to Ukraine.

(c) Sky News 2026: Explosives found near pipeline supplying Russian gas to Hungary 'act of sabotage', says Vikt