Serbian police and the military discovered “explosives of devastating power” next to a major gas pipeline that supplies a significant share of the country and runs north into Hungary, President Aleksandar Vucic said.
He said he had already spoken with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and informed him “of the first results of the investigation conducted by our military and police into the threat to the critical gas infrastructure linking Serbia and Hungary.”
Vucic said detonators were found alongside the unspecified explosives. No damage has been reported so far. The site is in an area near the town of Kanjiza, roughly 10 kilometers from the Hungarian border.
“The Serbian army today managed to prevent an action directed against the country’s vital interests,” Vucic said in comments aired on local television. “Serbia will deal ruthlessly with anyone who believes they can threaten its critical infrastructure.”
The incident came just a week before Hungary’s pivotal election, which will determine whether Orban can extend his more than 16 years in power. In February, he ordered tighter security around energy infrastructure, repeatedly saying that Ukraine was seeking to disrupt Hungary’s energy system.