The Kremlin claims that Ukraine could be responsible for the explosives found near the Balkan Stream. Kiev denies any involvement, calling the incident a false flag operation.

The Kremlin declared on Monday that, although there is no conclusive evidence, it is "very likely" that Ukraine placed the explosives discovered near a gas pipeline in Serbia, which transports Russian gas to Hungary.

Moscow's statements come after Ukrainian officials denied any involvement, suggesting that the incident could be a false flag operation, part of Russian interference in the Hungarian elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban convened an emergency defense council after the discovery of the explosives, emphasizing that Ukraine has tried to isolate Europe from Russian energy.

Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin's spokesperson, stated that the regime in Kiev has been involved in acts of sabotage against critical energy infrastructure and expressed hope that Hungary and Serbia would take measures to minimize the threat. The incident has raised concerns about energy security in the context of tensions between Russia and Ukraine, and Hungarian officials have compared this incident to previous sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines.