Sun, 05 Apr 2026 18:27:02 +0000
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by Elena Vance -

Backpacks with explosives found near TurkStream/Balkan Stream pipeline on Serbia–Hungary border, officials say

BUDAPEST/BELGRADE — Serbian authorities discovered backpacks containing powerful explosives and detonators a few hundred metres from a gas pipeline in northern Serbia near the Hungarian border on April 5, 2026. The devices were found close enough to the pipeline to prompt immediate alarm from officials in both countries.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Hungarian officials publicly raised the alarm after the discovery and ordered heightened security measures around the pipeline corridor. Security patrols and inspections in the area were increased as authorities sought to secure the infrastructure and investigate the circumstances of the find.

The pipeline in question carries Russian natural gas to Hungary and beyond; reporting has identified the route as the TurkStream/Balkan Stream link that supplies Hungary and Serbia. Officials in both capitals emphasised the potential threat to cross-border energy deliveries posed by explosive devices placed near the conduit.

The discovery came as Hungary was approaching a national election on April 12, 2026, a period described by officials as one of heightened political sensitivity. Hungarian authorities had previously expressed concerns this year about possible disruptions to energy infrastructure.