Hungarian PM faces ‘false flag’ claims after Serbia says explosives found near pipeline

Serbian authorities discovered explosives near the TurkStream pipeline, which carries Russian natural gas to Hungary, prompting an investigation and raising concerns about potential threats to critical infrastructure. Serbian President Vučić informed Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán about the discovery in northern Serbia, a week before Hungary's parliamentary elections. Orbán convened an emergency defense council meeting in response. The incident has sparked political scrutiny in Hungary, with opposition leader Péter Magyar suggesting it could be a "false flag" operation to influence the upcoming election. Magyar claims to have received warnings about a potential incident involving the pipeline, possibly with Serbian and Russian involvement.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban convened an emergency meeting after explosives were discovered near the TurkStream pipeline in Serbia, which transports Russian gas to Hungary. The discovery, about 20km from the Hungarian border, was reported by Serbian President Alexander Vucic. The incident occurs ahead of Hungarian elections next Sunday, where Orban's party is trailing in polls. Opposition leader Peter Magyar accused Orban of "panic-mongering," while security experts have suggested the possibility of a staged operation to influence the election. Orban, an ally of Vladimir Putin, has resisted EU calls to abandon Russian energy imports, and his party has campaigned on maintaining low energy prices through Russian gas.