Orbán orders military protection for energy sites, alleging Ukrainian threat

Orbán deploys troops to energy facilities over alleged Ukrainian threat

Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has ordered heightened security at energy facilities, including the deployment of the military, after alleging that Ukraine is seeking to disrupt Hungary’s energy system. Budapest has accused Kyiv of withholding Russian oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukrainian territory to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia. Ukrainian officials reject the claim, saying the pipeline was struck in a Russian drone attack. In a video posted on social media, Orbán said Ukraine was using “an oil blockade” to pressure Hungary and that Hungarian national security services had indicated Kyiv was “preparing further actions to disrupt the operation of Hungary’s energy system”, though he provided no evidence. He said soldiers and equipment would be deployed to guard key facilities, with increased police patrols around power plants, distribution stations and control centres. A ban on drone operations was also introduced in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county, which borders Ukraine.

The move comes as Orbán intensifies an anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of April’s parliamentary elections, widely seen as the most challenging contest of his 16 years in power. He has portrayed Ukraine as a serious threat to Hungary’s security and cast himself as its guarantor. Hungary and Slovakia, unlike most European countries, have maintained and even increased imports of Russian oil and gas since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, receiving a temporary EU exemption from a ban on Russian oil imports. Druzhba has not delivered oil since 27 January, and Ukrainian officials say repairs are dangerous and dependent on Russia halting attacks on energy infrastructure. In recent days Hungary has threatened to block a €90bn EU loan to Kyiv, vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia, and signalled it would obstruct further EU assistance until oil shipments resume.

German Foreign Minister: "Hungary is betraying its fight for freedom and trampling on its own heritage"

"The government rejects the increasingly open German attacks and attempts to interfere in the Hungarian election campaign," Hungarian state news agency MTI quoted Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó. At a press conference prior to a public forum held in the city, the minister responded to Johann Wadephul's statement regarding the blocking of European Union sanctions against Russia, saying that "Hungary is betraying its own fight for freedom and trampling on its own heritage."

According to Szijjártó, the German foreign minister has been conspicuously active in attacking Hungary in recent days. "I think it's a bit much when a German person lectures Hungary and Hungarians about historical heritage. We reject this, just as we reject any attempt to interfere in the Hungarian election campaign. I suggest that the German government also adhere to this in the coming period," he explained.

Tisza has a 20-point lead among decided voters, Medián poll shows

Tisza party holds an 11-point lead over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz among the entire voting-age population and a 20-point advantage among decided voters, according to a new Medián poll reported by Hungarian weekly, HVG. Among voters with a declared party preference, Tisza stands at 55% to Fidesz’s 35%. The difference narrows to 13 points when turnout certainty is factored in: 97% of Tisza supporters say they are certain to vote in April’s election, compared with 85% of Fidesz voters.

Compared with Medián’s previous survey, Tisza has gained two percentage points while Fidesz has lost two. Among those certain to participate, Tisza improved by four points and Fidesz dropped by four, widening the gap between them in that category by eight points. The far-right Mi Hazánk is polling at 6%, the threshold for entering parliament. Other smaller parties, including the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party and the Democratic Coalition, remain at 1–2%, with the rest collectively below 1%. Medián noted that recent controversies such as the battery factory in Göd have attracted widespread attention, with 89% of respondents saying they had heard about them.