Hungarian troops to withdraw from key energy infrastructure sites, their presence no longer needed a few days after election

"Starting Wednesday, the Hungarian Defense Forces will gradually withdraw from locations where it was previously deemed necessary to increase security around energy facilities," the Communications Directorate of the Defense Staff replied to our inquiry.

“The Hungarian Armed Forces have begun the process of rationalizing the number of personnel deployed for the purpose of increasing security and the protection of Hungarian infrastructure and energy facilities,” they wrote.

Viktor Orbán announced at the end of February that, in order to “increase the protection of critical energy infrastructure,” soldiers would be deployed nationwide to guard key energy facilities. Orbán said that he had also convened the Defense Council due to the “Ukrainian blockade,” as, according to him, Ukraine was attempting to exert pressure on Slovakia and Hungary by keeping the Friendship pipeline closed. “I see that Ukraine is preparing additional operations to disrupt the Hungarian energy system. For this reason, I have ordered that the protection of critical energy infrastructure be increased,” the Prime Minister said at the time. Following the discovery of suspicious items near the Turkish Stream pipeline in Serbia, the Hungarian government also increased security near that pipeline's Hungarian stretch.

According to a response from the Hungarian Defense Forces General Staff Communications Directorate, approximately 600 personnel have been involved in protecting critical facilities to date.

“In recent weeks, companies operating critical infrastructure have reviewed and revised their own security measures and procedures, and have stepped up their own security and monitoring. Consequently, starting April 15, 2026, the Hungarian Armed Forces will gradually reduce the number of troops involved in this mission and withdraw from those locations where the Ministry of Energy no longer requires military reinforcement,” they wrote in their response.