Viktor Orban. Photo ominiszterelnok.hu
Vucic informed him by telephone of the discovery of explosives and detonators near the gas pipeline from Serbia to Hungary. On that basis, Orban said, “Serbian authorities have discovered a powerful explosive device and the means to detonate it at a critical piece of gas infrastructure connecting Serbia and Hungary.”
Vucic threatened “merciless retribution”
The explosives were found near the village of Velebit in the autonomous province of Vojvodina, a few hundred meters from the gas pipeline that delivers Russian gas from the Turkish Stream to Serbia and Hungary, the Serbian leader told reporters. He recalled that the compressor station of this pipeline is guarded by the army.
Vucic threatened “merciless retribution” to anyone who “threatens the vital infrastructure of the Republic of Serbia.” An investigation is underway, he said, and “there are certain leads.” He did not specify which ones.
Jabari strategic site
It should be noted that the Jabari compressor station, built in 2021, is the only compressor station on the 402-kilometer-long gas pipeline from the Bulgarian border to Hungary, which carries Russian gas to Serbia via Turkish Stream. In March, the Serbian army stepped up security at the compressor station.
Last year Hungary received about 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas from Turkey through this pipeline. Four of its sections pass through Serbia. The Serbian section of Turkish Stream starts at the town of Zajecar on the border with Bulgaria and crosses the border with Hungary near the town of Horgos.
