The amount of explosives discovered in Serbia last week would not have been enough to destroy the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, according to a former Ukrainian major general and munitions specialist who believes the incident was probably a Russian intelligence plot aimed at shaping Hungary’s coming election.
The expert told the Guardian that calculations made by his company indicated the 4kg of explosives recovered by Serbia’s military security agency in Kanjiža could not have seriously ruptured the pipe.
The assessment points to a possible attempt to create tension around a key piece of energy infrastructure rather than carry out a successful act of sabotage. The material was found in Serbia last week, and the conclusion offered by the expert was that the amount was too small to cause the kind of destruction that would be needed to disable the pipeline.
The comments come as Hungary prepares for an election, with the expert suggesting that the discovery may have been intended to influence the political environment rather than produce a major physical impact on the pipeline itself.
What the expert said
According to the report, the former Ukrainian major general and munitions specialist based the conclusion on calculations carried out by his company. Those calculations led him to say that 4kg of explosives would not have been enough to seriously rupture the Balkan Stream gas pipeline.
Serbia’s military security agency was the authority that recovered the material in Kanjiža. The Guardian report says the explosives were found last week.
The source identifies the incident as one that may be tied to a wider intelligence operation. The expert described it as likely a Russian provocation, with the potential aim of affecting Hungary’s election.
No further details were provided in the source item about arrests, charges, or additional findings connected to the discovery.
Political context
The allegation appears against the backdrop of Hungary’s upcoming election, which the source notes as a possible target for influence. The suggestion is not that the explosives were enough to destroy the pipeline, but that the discovery itself may have been intended to have a political effect.
The Guardian source frames the issue through the lens of regional security and intelligence activity, with the military expert’s assessment focusing on both the limited size of the explosive material and the possible motives behind its placement.
