Description: Serbian military and intelligence agencies have reported that they have discovered a vast amount of explosives with devastating concussive power near the Turkstream pipeline at the town of Kanjiza near the Hungarian border. President Vucic stated that he informed his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, about the incident and refrained from giving any details. Orban stated that the operation might have been conducted by Ukrainian intelligence services which have repeatedly attempted to cut Hungary off Russian oil and gas. The Ukrainian foreign ministry renounced the accusations and claimed that it was most likely a false flag operation of sabotage organized by Russian intelligence aimed at boosting Orban’s failing poll ratings ahead of the general election in Hungary on 12 Apr. Orban and his Fidesz party trail the polls significantly behind the opposition’s candidate Peter Magyar and his Tisza party.
Impact: Following last week’s accusations of collaborating with Russia, using members and departments of Hungary’s intelligence services to spy on Magyar and Tisza, the latest scandal only damages Orban’s public image and further diminishes his chances of recuperating the standing on the polls. Despite Serbia’s successful intercept of the bomb threat to a critical infrastructure site, Orban directly resorted towards weaponizing the situation politically, which has not resonated with the wider public. Looking more likely to lose the election on 12 Apr, Orban’s public standing and the perception of Fidesz continues to downsize ahead of a crucial endorsement visit by US Vice – President JD Vance. Tisza and Peter Magyar’s almost inevitable triumph would cause a political transformation in Hungary which could be accompanied by internal instability in the short – term considering Orban’s longstanding ties with Russia.