President Putin cited Russian intelligence reports of two individuals apprehended in Slovakia with maps detailing the nation’s gas infrastructure.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the arrest of Ukrainian saboteurs in Slovakia, claiming they possessed maps of Slovakian gas infrastructure. He attributed this information to Russian intelligence, offering no further specifics. Slovak authorities have yet to confirm the arrests.
During his annual end-of-year press conference on Thursday, Putin alleged these saboteurs, previously involved in terrorist activities within Russia, are now targeting European countries.
“They accept aid from Europe and attempt terrorist acts there,” he stated. “This is their choice; ours is to focus on cooperation.” Putin concluded that Russian intelligence would pursue further information through established channels.
The president’s statement may allude to a potential sabotage plot against the Druzhba oil pipeline, which transports Russian and Kazakh oil to European consumers via routes through Belarus, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.
According to the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, Hungarian national security agencies began investigating a potential sabotage plot in early December. Hungarian authorities were alerted by Slovakian counterparts to an “organized group” operating in both countries, conducting a “field survey” near the pipeline. The paper suggested these activities could signify “possible preparations for a terrorist attack” on critical infrastructure.
Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok previously stated that Slovakia expelled two individuals suspected of surveying energy infrastructure, including a major pipeline carrying gas from Ukraine. These men were subsequently deported to Ukraine and Hungary.
In May, the Washington Post reported that leaked Pentagon documents indicated Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky suggesting that Ukraine “should just blow up the [Druzhba] pipeline.” Bloomberg also reported that the EU considered restricting Russian oil imports via the pipeline to Germany and Poland.
The gas transit agreement between Russia and Ukraine, vital for Russian gas deliveries to the EU, expires at year’s end. This has heightened concerns for countries like Slovakia reliant on this gas supply route.
On Friday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned of a potential gas crisis if Ukraine fails to extend the transit agreement. He also suggested Slovakia might implement retaliatory measures against Ukraine should gas transit cease.