Hungary develops contingency plan for potential Turkish Stream disruption

The Hungarian government is confident it can maintain the country’s energy supply even in the event of a disruption to the Turkish Stream gas pipeline, which transports gas from Russia.

Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, assured journalists that while alternative measures are in place, they would likely come at a significantly higher cost, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

The question regarding the Turkish Stream arose during a recent briefing following reports of a Ukrainian military strike on a compressor station in Russia's Krasnodar region, which plays a crucial role in delivering gas through the pipeline.

“We have contingency plans for any crisis scenario,” Gulyás said. “Gas supplies to Hungary will still be ensured, but it will probably come at a much higher price.”

However, he did not disclose the specific measures outlined in the contingency plan.

To recap, on January 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) launched an unsuccessful attack on the Russkaya compressor station near Anapa, a critical hub for the Turkish Stream gas pipeline. Russian air defence systems intercepted nine drones aimed at the facility, averting major damage. Minor harm was reported due to falling fragments, but operations at the station resumed promptly without disruptions to gas flow.

The Turkish Stream, commissioned in January 2020, is a vital export pipeline delivering natural gas from Russia to Türkiye and several southern and southeastern European countries, including Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria.

Spanning over 930 kilometres along the Black Sea seabed, the pipeline boasts an annual capacity of 31.5 billion cubic meters. This includes a direct supply to Türkiye and a transit route extending to Europe, cementing its role as a cornerstone of regional energy security.

The project's origins trace back to 2014, following disagreements between Russia and the European Union over the abandoned South Stream project. The Turkish Stream’s construction, formalized through an intergovernmental agreement in 2016, culminated in late 2019. It became fully operational in 2020, with heads of state Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Vladimir Putin commemorating its launch.

The pipeline’s strategic importance was underscored following the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in 2022 and the impending cessation of Russian gas transit via Ukraine in 2025. As the sole operating route for Russian natural gas to Southern Europe, Turkish Stream is indispensable to nations like Hungary and Serbia.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto emphasized the pipeline’s significance, equating the attack on Russkaya station to an affront on the sovereignty of its beneficiary states.

By Aghakazim Guliyev