The Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to landlocked Central European countries was at the centre of a dispute between Hungary and the EU this summer.
Hungary's Magyar Nemzet newspaper reported on December 2 that the Hungarian Counter-Terrorism Center was warned by authorities in neighboring Slovakia over the weekend that "an organized group" operating in both countries was conducting "field surveys" in the vicinity of the pipeline. These activities could indicate "possible preparations for a terrorist attack" against the countries' critical infrastructure, the newspaper said.
The newspaper added that "Slovakia's announcement must be taken seriously by the Counter-Terrorism Centre and national security agencies".
Built in the 1960s, the Druzhba pipeline stretches some 4,000km, connecting Russian and Kazakh oil suppliers to consumers in Europe. The pipeline branches off in Belarus, with the northern section going to Poland and Germany, and the southern section going to Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
In June, Ukraine stopped the transit of crude oil supplied by Russian energy giant Lukoil through the pipeline, citing Kiev's sanctions against Lukoil.
The measure directly affected Hungary and Slovakia, two landlocked countries, depriving them of oil that Lukoil had previously exported through Ukrainian territory.
Lukoil's supplies are said to have been replaced by supplies from another Russian oil company, Tatneft.
In July, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused the EU of orchestrating the suspension of Lukoil supplies to “blackmail” the two countries.
Slovakia and Hungary are the only two EU members to reject the European Union's policy of providing military aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Both countries have repeatedly called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
In September, Hungarian energy company MOL reached an agreement with suppliers and pipeline operators. Under the terms of the agreement, crude oil transported via Ukraine will be officially sold to MOL before crossing the country's border.
Senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Mikhail Podoliak, said at the time that Kiev would honor its agreements and transport Russian oil to Europe until the contracts expire in 2029.
The Washington Post reported last year that Mr. Zelensky secretly outlined a series of steps that contradicted his official statements at the time.
The newspaper cited classified US intelligence documents detailing Mr Zelensky’s plans to invade Russia and seize villages along the border, push for the West to authorize the use of long-range missiles to strike targets inside Russia’s borders and bomb a Russian oil pipeline to Hungary.
The first part of the plan has come to fruition in recent months with Kiev's attack on Russia's Kursk province and permission from the US, UK and France to launch their long-range missiles deep into Russia.
