Why aren’t Hungary’s soldiers helping flood protection? – Here is the minister’s answer

Péter Magyar, the leader of the Hungarian opposition, blamed the Hungarian government for not deploying enough soldiers on the dams to help with flood protection. Here is the defence minister’s answer.

As many as 1,400 soldiers are assisting flood protection efforts in Hungary, but the military is prepared to deploy as many service members as necessary, the defence minister said on Tuesday morning.

Troops are working day and night along the Danube and are also present in the Mosonmagyaróvár area in the northwest and at two localities in Komarom-Esztergom County in the north, Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said, according to a ministry statement.

Soldiers are also being deployed to other towns and villages, he said.

Péter Magyar believes there should be more soldiers on the dams. Photo: FB/Magyar Péter

“The Hungarian Armed Forces is providing assistance in handling the situation caused by the floods as requested by the counties,” Szalay-Bobrovniczky said.

The military is using PTS-M tracked amphibious vehicles as well as H145M helicopters in the defence work, the minister said, adding that plans are to deploy professional, contract and reservist troops to aid with the protection efforts.

Péter Magyar slammed the defence minister for deploying only 1,400 soldiers. He wrote in a Facebook post that the Hungarian government talked about mobilising thousands. Once, the number mentioned by officials was 17 thousand. Furthermore, he said the government runs late to mobilise volunteer reservists since they have until 19 September to respond and will participate in the flood protection efforts only after the peaking of the Danube in several regions.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky called Magyar a liar.

Read also:

• Important: Budapest floods disrupt tram and bus services, cause road closures – read more HERE
• Floods in Hungary, latest: Orbán postpones all international trips, near-record flooding expected, levee with 1,000 tonnes of rocks – photos and more in THIS article