Serbian police and military units discovered explosive devices near a critical gas pipeline that transports Russian natural gas to Hungary, prompting emergency security consultations between the two countries' leaders on Sunday.
The explosives were found in backpacks positioned several hundred meters from the Balkan Stream pipeline in Kanjiza, northern Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić described the discovery as devices of "devastating power" and immediately contacted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to brief him on the initial investigation findings.
Our units found an explosive of devastating power
Aleksandar Vučić, Serbian President — Straits Times
The Balkan Stream pipeline serves as an extension of the TurkStream system, carrying Russian gas through the Balkans to Central and Eastern Europe. Serbia imports approximately six million cubic meters of Russian gas daily through this infrastructure at roughly half the market price, making the country heavily dependent on this energy supply.
Orbán responded to Vučić's briefing by convening an extraordinary defense council meeting for Sunday afternoon. The Hungarian leader has recently escalated security measures around energy infrastructure, particularly as his country approaches pivotal elections on April 12.
Euronews approaches this as a European security issue, contextualizing the pipeline incident within broader regional energy vulnerabilities and existing Hungary-Ukraine disputes. Their framing emphasizes infrastructure protection concerns while maintaining editorial balance on the domestic political implications for both Serbia and Hungary.