US intelligence leaks: Zelenskyy planned to sabotage Hungarian industry

New details have been released about the US intelligence leak that occurred a few weeks ago. The US intelligence service seems to have eavesdropped on several of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s private conversations. One of the recordings mentioned the sabotage against an oil pipeline that delivers crucial resources to Hungary.

The fresh leaks talk about numerous of the Ukrainian president’s plans, which could intensify the conflict even further. For instance, Zelenskyy was recorded saying that the Ukrainian army should occupy Russian towns along the border. This move would aim to increase his country’s leverage in the war. He also suggested using long-range missile systems to attack military targets within Russia’s borders, writes Világgazdaság.

Pipeline sabotage

According to the leaks, in a February meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko, the Ukrainian president suggested blowing up the Druzhba pipeline that runs through the territory of Ukraine and supplies Hungary with much-needed oil imported from Russia. His reasoning behind this drastic measure was that this would “ruin the industry of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán”.

According to the notes of the intelligence officers, however, this was just a sudden impulsive thought and not an elaborate plan. At this time Zelenskyy has been dealing with a year of constant war and was indignant at Hungary’s behaviour regarding the conflict. This is the reason why he was caught contemplating such dramatic measures. Ultimately, it was deemed a personal note made out of anger, not an action he actually planned on committing.

Possible implications

If Ukraine did sabotage the pipeline, that would have drastic consequences not only for the country’s relations with the West and NATO but also for the economy of Hungary. So far Zelenskyy and his government have enjoyed widespread support from the overwhelming majority of Western states. If he was to start implementing decisions that could negatively affect members of the NATO alliance, this could easily change. The last time a similar event happened was in September 2022, when unknown perpetrators blew up the Nord Stream pipeline.

The consequences of such an attack would be disastrous for the Hungarian industry and economy as well. Eight million tonnes of Russian oil flows through the Druzhba every year from Russia to Hungary. If this abruptly came to a stop, that would bring an end to one of the country’s most significant energy supply routes. The pipeline’s capacities would be near impossible to replace in the short term, which would cause the industry of the country to come crashing down.

Source: Világgazdaság