Missile defense systems and elite special forces have been deployed to guard a key Serbian compressor station whose failure could immediately disrupt Hungary’s supply of Russian gas. Authorities in Belgrade have taken extraordinary precautions: since March, the facility in Žabari has been placed under security measures resembling wartime conditions, Index reports.
Following a decision by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and on the orders of the Chief of the General Staff, the Serbian Army is providing enhanced protection for the Velika Plana compressor station, the portal writes citing the Russian RTS. Built in 2021, the compressor station is indispensable for the transport of Russian gas from Türkiye to Hungary.
The facility has been under enhanced protection since March.
Major Predrag Ljutić of the Serbian Army’s 72nd Special Operations Brigade explained that the troops’ goal is to detect potential threats as early as possible and neutralize them in their initial stages. The soldiers are working closely with Serbia’s other security agencies.
The HQ 17 AE missile system of the 250th Missile Brigade provides protection against airborne threats.
The Serbian Army’s HQ-17AE surface-to-air missile System. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Srđan Popović
Captain Igor Stanković, commander of the missile battery, emphasized that the use of airborne weapons—including commercial drones, unmanned aerial vehicles, combat helicopters, and various types of missiles—has increased significantly in recent times. The HQ-17 AE system is characterized by its rapid response time and its ability to destroy targets with small reflective surfaces.
Captain Stanković added that over the past three years, several acts of sabotage have been carried out against gas pipelines transporting Russian energy resources, including the TurkStream pipeline.
Last year, approximately 7.5 billion cubic meters of gas traveled from Türkiye to Hungary via the 930-kilometer-long gas pipeline. The pipeline runs through Serbia in four sections: it enters the country at Zaječar and exits at Horgoš.
Hungary also attaches particular importance to the protection of its energy infrastructure. As reported by Hungary Today, in February 25, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced after a meeting of the Defense Council that he had ordered the strengthening of the protection of critical energy infrastructure due to concerns of potential Ukrainian sabotage. Soldiers and the necessary equipment to repel attacks have been deployed near key energy facilities. The Hungarian Defense Forces now secures energy facilities at 75 locations across the country.
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Via Index, RTS; Featured image: MTI/Rosta Tibor
