Hungary’s Orbán Deploys Troops To Energy Sites As Ukraine Tensions Rise Amid Domestic Scandal (Worthy News Focus)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief reporting from Budapest, Hungary

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday he had deployed troops to protect key energy facilities, accusing Ukraine and the European Union of endangering Hungary’s energy and economic security ahead of April elections.

“The Ukrainians are capable of anything. It was no coincidence that I had to deploy soldiers to critical energy facilities,” Orbán said on public broadcaster Kossuth Radio, adding that Hungary was facing what he described as an oil blockade.

His remarks followed an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dated February 26, urging him to immediately reopen the Soviet-era Druzhba (“Friendship”) oil pipeline, which supplies Russian crude through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.

“Your actions run counter to Hungary’s interests and jeopardize the secure and affordable energy supply of Hungarian families,” Orbán wrote, calling on Zelenskyy to change what he described as an “anti-Hungarian policy.” He said Hungary sympathizes with the Ukrainian people but does not want to be drawn into the war or bear higher energy costs.

The dispute comes less than two months before Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary election, where energy security and relations with the European Union have become central campaign issues.

DRUZHBA PIPELINE DISPUTE AND EU TENSIONS

The Druzhba pipeline, built during the Soviet era, carries Russian crude oil across Ukraine into Central and Eastern Europe. Hungary and Slovakia remain the only European Union countries still heavily dependent on Russian oil delivered via this route.

The disruption has halted significant deliveries, prompting Hungary to rely on reserves and alternative supplies. Kyiv says repairs are ongoing after damage it attributes to a Russian strike, while Budapest and Bratislava argue delays are politically motivated.

Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico agreed this week to coordinate further action and examine the pipeline damage. Hungary and Slovakia have also halted diesel deliveries to Ukraine amid the dispute.

Hungary has signaled it could block additional EU financial assistance for Ukraine — including a proposed 90 billion euros ($98 billion) package — and future sanctions unless energy transit issues are resolved, deepening divisions within the 27-nation bloc.

Orbán confirmed, however, that unlike Slovakia, he had not cut electricity supplies to Ukraine, citing concerns about the impact on more than 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine.

ORBÁN RADIO REMARKS AND NORD STREAM CLAIM

Speaking later in the same radio interview, Orbán described the situation as an economic assault.

“They attacked us, they put us under an oil blockade,” he said, arguing that without Russian oil Hungary would face “economic chaos” and gasoline prices exceeding 1,000 Hungarian forints (about $2.75) per liter — roughly $10.40 per gallon.

He said people should not forget that “the Ukrainians also blew up Nord Stream,” referring to the twin natural gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea linking Russia and Germany.

Orbán called the destruction of Nord Stream “state terrorism,” citing it as proof that energy infrastructure can become a target in wartime.

Nord Stream was damaged by explosions in September 2022 in what investigators have described as sabotage. However, inquiries remain ongoing, and no final judicial determination has assigned official state responsibility.

SAMSUNG BATTERY PLANT SCANDAL AND POLLS

The energy dispute unfolds as Orbán faces mounting domestic pressure over a growing scandal involving the Samsung SDI battery plant in Göd, near Budapest.

The controversy escalated after opposition leader Péter Magyar published an interview with a former driver who claimed toxic substances were moved shortly before scheduled inspections. According to a leaked security report, the government had been aware of risky pollution levels at the plant but did not intervene.

The report suggested that thousands of workers and nearby residents could have been exposed to hazardous substances. A police investigation has since been launched.

Recent polls suggest the issue has resonated strongly with voters. Nearly three-quarters of Hungarians believe Orbán “knew or probably knew” about the pollution problems, according to recent survey data cited by analysts.

With less than two months before voters head to the polls, surveys indicate a competitive race between Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party and the opposition Tisza Party led by Magyar.

Analysts say the energy confrontation and the Samsung controversy have intensified scrutiny of the government’s industrial oversight and Hungary’s broader direction within the European Union.

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