On Easter Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán posted that Serbian President Vučić had informed him of “a powerful explosive device, along with the equipment needed to detonate it” along the TurkStream pipeline used to transit gas between Serbia and Hungary. He immediately convened his cabinet for an emergency session and has since held a press conference at the site in question.

“We’re going at six o’clock on Easter Monday morning. Not where we’re supposed to be. We’re supposed to be getting wet. But we’re not going there, we’re going down to the Serbian-Hungarian border. We’re going to check out the gas pipeline’s entry point there around Kiskundorozsma. They wanted to blow it up on the Serbian side, and we had to order military protection for the Hungarian section of the pipeline,” Orbán posted in a video message this morning on Facebook.

⚠️ Sabotage attempt ⚠️

We have placed the Hungarian section of the TurkStream gas pipeline under reinforced military monitoring and protection. pic.twitter.com/VjnpnGiWGE

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) April 5, 2026

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accompanied the prime minister, posting on his own account: “Yesterday, the Serbian authorities prevented a terrorist attack in which they wanted to blow up the Serbian section of the Turkish Stream pipeline. This pipeline is essential for Hungary’s natural gas supply, as 56 percent, or more than half, of the natural gas in our system comes through the Turkish Stream pipeline.”

“Our task is to protect Hungary’s sovereignty, protect the provision of Hungarian families, protect the country’s ability to function and fight for the reduction of utility bills. We simply do not want Hungarian people to pay at least three times as much for utility bills as they do now, and this would be the result of eliminating Russian gas and oil. That is why we have placed the Hungarian section of the Turkish Stream, which is a 250-kilometer natural gas pipeline, under military protection. Now we are heading to Kiskundorozsma, where the gas pipeline enters the territory of Hungary,” he wrote.

On-site in Kiskundorozsma, Orbán told press that “the situation is extremely serious,” writes Magyar Nemzet.

“For now, Hungary’s gas supply is not in danger, but continuous protection must be ensured,” he said, adding that Hungarian Armed Forces are capable of protecting the gas pipeline. He also addressed the fact that with the Druzhba still shut down by Kyiv, Hungary cannot afford to lose the TurkStream as well.

“Earlier, we were talking about oil, we were under blockade. We will replace that from elsewhere, but the gas pipeline is even more like the artery,” explained the prime minster, reminding press that the gas pipeline to Hungary had already been blocked before, which is why the Turkish Stream was built. 

“We are currently under a Ukrainian gas blockade, but we can make up for the loss from the south. If this umbilical cord is cut, the Hungarian economy will come to a standstill,” Orbán emphasized.

Earlier, the prime minister’s political director, Balázs Orbán, posted on Facebook, calling attention to the fact that pro-Ukrainian “experts” also appeared in connection with the sabotage attempt against the TurkStream, similar to when the Nord Stream was blown up. “Do we still remember when the Ukrainians blew up the Nord Stream gas pipeline, and some tried with all their might to prove that the Russians destroyed their own pipeline?” Balázs Orbán asked.

Meanwhile, Orbán reiterated the coming energy crisis facing the entire continent and the need to drop sanctions against Moscow. “Europe is heading towards an extremely serious energy crisis, and the next few days will be decisive. According to him, a competition for energy sources may develop, like for vaccines during the coronavirus pandemic,” writes Magyar Nemzet.

“The Hungarian position is that we should stop sanctioning Russian energy. The other side is of the opinion that this is not necessary and that sanctions on Russian energy should be maintained,” Orbán underlined, adding that he would not be surprised if news of further threats were to arrive in the coming days. 

“The country’s energy security is not a campaign issue, but a government issue. That requires strategic calm,” he told press.