Hungary Puts TurkStream Pipeline Under Military Guard After Suspected Sabotage in Serbia

Overview

• Hungary ordered soldiers to guard its section of the TurkStream gas line and distribution stations, a route that carries Russian gas into Hungary and onward to Slovakia.
• Serbian authorities said they found two backpacks with about 4 kilograms of plastic explosive near the line by the village of Velebit and opened a sabotage probe.
• Serbia’s military intelligence chief said Ukrainians did not try to organize the attack and said the explosives bore markings from a U.S. manufacturer.
• Ukraine denied any role and called the case a Russian false-flag operation, while the Kremlin said there is no reliable evidence on who is responsible.
• Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited the Hungary–Serbia border site and framed the case as a direct threat to the country’s energy security.