Serbia

Almost everyone in the region receives huge US aid, Hungary does not

Antony Blinken

Antony Blinken, the Secretary of States of the United States announced that Washington would provide military aid worth more than two billion USD (860 billion HUF) to Ukraine and 18 other Central and Eastern European countries, writes Hír24.

Blinken told Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on 8 September that he had authorised the US’ 20th shipment of weapons and equipment. This package contains 675 million USD (263 billion HUF) worth of weapons, ammunition and equipment from the inventory of the US Department of Defense. In addition, the US government has helped Ukraine with about 15.2 billion USD (6,000 billion HUF) since the Biden administration took office.

The US government also plans to send 2.2 billion USD (860 billion HUF) worth of aid to Ukraine and 18 other Eastern and Central European countries. Blinken did not specify the countries but only referred to them as the ones that faced the highest risk of being attacked by the Russians.

About half of the total amount will go to Ukraine, while the rest will be shared by the other countries to strengthen and modernise their defence with American weapons and equipment.

Gazprom gas prices
Read alsoGovernment: risk serious that Russia would stop gas deliveries if EU introduces gas price cap

Although the statement from the US Department of State did not specify the concerned countries, transcontinentaltimes.com published an unofficial list: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Georgia, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Among the countries of the Central and Eastern European regions, only Hungary and Serbia are not eligible for the support package. It most probably has to come down to politics – both of these countries’ leaderships nurture a close connection with the Russian government.

Read alsoIn the nest of Putin’s supporters in Hungary

Hungarian language teacher training faculty building inaugurated in Serbia

Hungarian language teaching Serbia building

Serbia and Hungary’s relations are based on understanding and care, President Katalin Novák said at the inauguration of the building of the University of Novi Sad’s Hungarian-language teacher training faculty in Subotica (Szabadka), in northern Serbia, on Friday.

In her speech at the inauguration, Novak emphasised that the ethnic Hungarian community of Serbia’s Vojvodina region and the Serbian leadership were working hard to keep the friendship between the two countries “as close as it is”. The president said children in Vojvodina needed to be given not just knowledge, but also a love of their mother tongue, an identity, faith and patriotism.

Novák also touched on the migration pressure faced by Serbia and the rest of Europe, saying that Prime Minister Ana Brnabic had assured her that Serbia “understands this problem” and was working on a solution that would help the local Hungarian community.

She reiterated Hungary’s support for Serbia’s accession to the European Union, saying that “we need Serbia and it is in our interest that the ethnic Hungarian community in Vojvodina be given European Union citizenship as soon as possible”.

István Pásztor, head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ), called Novák’s visit to Belgrade “a new important milestone” in the two countries’ relationship which also benefited Vojvodina Hungarians.

He said the teacher training faculty building would not have become a reality without the Hungarian government’s contribution of over 1 billion forints (EUR 2.5m) to the project.

Budapest demonstration teacher student protest
Read also PHOTO, VIDEOS: Thousands demonstrated for a better education in Budapest

Hungarian president in Serbia: war in Ukraine not likely to end soon

Hungarian president in Serbia war in Ukraine

Hungarian President Katalin Novák announced to set up a network of family-friendly presidents, at a press conference held after talks with her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic on Friday.

The network will comprise “family-centered, family-friendly heads of state”, she told a joint press conference in Belgrade. She praised Vucic for showing “how important families are for him, as a person and as a president.” He is working so that young families planning to raise children can receive support in Serbia, she said. The talks focused on migration, European Union enlargement and energy and family policy, she said.

Concerning the Ukraine war, Novák said the European Union’s sanctions against Russia and the arising energy crisis impacted Serbs and Hungarians alike, with ramifications reaching far beyond Europe. She warned of upcoming difficulties adding that the war was not likely to end soon. “That is why we support peace and call for the war to be stopped as soon as possible,” she said. “A way must be found to peace talks and an early peace agreement,” she added.

The president touched upon the wave of illegal migration arriving via Serbia. She thanked Serbia for its efforts to prevent masses of migrants from reaching Hungary. “We must do everything to preserve Europe’s security,” she said, adding that Serbia was a “key partner” in those efforts.

On the subject of Serbia’s endeavours to become an EU member, Novák said that country would add to the wealth of the EU, and insisted that

“the EU also needs Serbia, not just vice versa”.

Hungary will continue supporting “all decisions aimed at (Serbia’s) integration”, she said. Novák noted a “much more intensive” than earlier economic cooperation between the two countries, and thanked Vucic for Serbia’s having been a partner in the Hungarian government’s economic programme in Vojvodina.

Vucic said bilateral ties were at a “historic high”, and noted Novak’s efforts, who had promoted relations in her previous positions and now as president. He also mentioned Prime Minister Viktor Orban and ethnic Hungarian leader Istvan Pasztor, who had “worked a lot” to improve ties.

Concerning the economy, Vucic said bilateral trade turnover had reached 2.2 billion euros in the first month of the year, the highest growth rate with Serbia’s partners in the region.

Vucic also mentioned Hungary’s allowing it to use its gas storage facilities. He added that his country was awaiting the winter season “if not calmly but with a calmer heart”.

Serbian Orthodox patriarch decorates Orbán

serbia

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán received Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Porfirije in Budapest on Monday, who decorated the PM with the golden Saint Sava Order.

According to the patriarch’s laudation, Orban has been recognised for his efforts to promote Christian values as well as for his personal contribution to the friendship between the Serbian and Hungarian nations, Bertalan Havasi said. He quoted the patriarch as referring to Orban as the only statesman “fighting for the spirit of Europe”.

At the meeting Orban said he was proud to receive the order from his “Serbian Orthodox brother”.

“We are a peaceful people, wishing for peace, but in fact a war is being waged for the soul of Europe and that war could not be won without a unity between Christians including the Orthodox Church,” Orbán said.

The order is given by the Serbian Orthodox Church to both church officials and laymen in recognition of special merits.

tóth gabi
Read alsoHungarian singer receives 85 death threats because she is religious

Government: the friendship is deep between the Serbian and Hungarian peoples

Hungarian Serbian peoples government

The Hungarian government is committed to “a deep friendship based on the history shared by the Hungarian and Serbian peoples”, deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén said in an address delivered during a service celebrated by Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Porfirije in Szentendre, north of Budapest, on Sunday.

Semjén thanked the patriarch for “confirming Hungarians in their Christian faith, a shared Hungarian-Serbian fate and friendship”. Hungary and Serbia are “firm defenders of Christian civilisation”, Semjén said in his address.

“Regrettably, we can see that some religious groups in the west and in the north not only acknowledge anti-Christian and unnatural ideologies, but sometimes they even adopt them,” Semjén said.

Semjén also thanked Serbia’s Orthodox Church for its promoting the process of reconcilitation between the two peoples, adding that “politicians may make a compromise but reconcilitation is a work of souls and is not possible without the churches’.

The service was also attended by Péter Erdő, head of the Hungarian Catholic Church, and Reformed Church leader Zoltán Balog.

Russia war Ukraine army Pravda
Read alsoPravda writes that Russian forces must reach the Hungarian border

Pravda writes that Russian forces must reach the Hungarian border

Russia war Ukraine army Pravda

The Russian propaganda tried to intensify tensions in the Balkans between Kosovo and Serbia. Officially, the Kremlin supports Serbia but made gestures to Kosovo because of Moscow’s war in Ukraine. In that respect, a Belarusian political scientist said Russia should have finished its invasion of Transcarpathia. As a result, they would be able to help Serbia through Hungary.

Russia wants conflict in the Balkans?

Russia has interests in the Balkans, where Moscow’s natural ally is Serbia. A conflict close to the EU borders would be beneficial for Moscow and distract attention from its war in Ukraine. Furthermore, the destabilisation of the Balkans would weaken the EU and the USA, 24.hu writes. Therefore, in the ongoing Kosovo-Serbia conflict, some Russian Telegram and Twitter accounts wrote that Kosovan and Serbian armed forces exchanged fire. Of course, that proved to be fake news.

Despite some gestures towards Kosovo, Russia’s ally is Serbia. Thus, pravda.ru has recently quoted a Belarusian political scientist’s opinion concerning Hungary and Transcarpathia. He said the war should be extended to Transcarpathia, where 150,000 Hungarians live. Of course, Pravda is not the official Kremlin. But it may show how Putin or his advisors think.

Transcarpathia in danger?

The article’s title is warning: “To help the Serbs, Russia needs to finish the special operations in Transcarpathia”. The writer, Ljubov Stepusova, argues that Kosovo would like to destroy the 100,000 Serbs living in the northern regions of the non-acknowledged state. Since Russia promised help to Belgrade, Pravda concludes that it must be arms deliveries.

Russia has no common borders with Serbia, and Romania made it clear that they would not allow such shipments on their territory. Therefore, only Hungary remains. Furthermore, Budapest allowed the delivery of Russian armoured vehicles to Serbia in 2019. The Hungarian government says that no permission was required since a civil aircraft did the shipping.

As a result, they quoted a Belarusian political scientist, Aleksei Dzermant, who said that Russia should have reached Transcarpathia during its special military operations.

Thousands of refugees enter Hungary each day

In total, 7,387 people crossed into Hungary directly from Ukraine on Friday, while another 11,504 from Ukraine crossed from Romania, the National Police Headquarters (ORFK) said on Saturday. Police issued temporary residence permits valid for 30 days to 302 people. On Thursday, 7,116 people entered Hungary directly from Ukraine, while another 8,489 from Ukraine crossed from Romania. Police issued temporary residence permits valid for 30 days to 424 people.

Holders of such permits must contact a local immigration office near their place of residence within 30 days to apply for permanent documents.

Hungary’s southern border crossings have fallen

hungary_border_police

The waiting time is more than four hours at the Röszke border crossing on the Serbian-Hungarian border. That is because guest workers are now returning to West Europe from their holiday spent at home. 

On the entrance side of the border crossing, even the buses have to wait one hour. Furthermore, those planning to travel to Serbia by car must wait one hour, too. In Ásotthalom, where the border station is open between 7 am and 10 pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday until the end of August, the waiting time is two hours on the entrance side, index.hu reported.

The border crossings in Tiszasziget or Kübekháza are open between 7 am and 7 pm. Police recommend everybody choose those to enter Hungary quicker.

At Csanádpalota and Nagylak, the waiting time for buses and cars is one hour to and from Romania.

You may find further information about the opening times and the waiting time HERE, or you can download the police’s mobile app (Rutin).

 

Border hunter Hungary Viktor Orbán
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Heading to China: freight traffic on the renovated Szeged-Röszke railway line resumes

freight transport along the Szeged-Röszke railway line has resumed

After a thirty-year hiatus, freight transport along the Szeged-Röszke railway line has resumed, with the first cargo train passing through Serbia on Monday evening before proceeding to the port of Piraeus and on to China, Dávid Vitézy, the Ministry of Technology and Industry state secretary for transport, told a press conference at the site.

The project received 40 billion forints (EUR 100m) of government support.

The completion of the renovation has paved the way for the full reconstruction of the Hungarian section of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line which, he said, catered to growing demand for a competitive and environmentally friendly mode of transport connecting Europe to China and, more broadly, to Asia via Turkey via Balkan routes.

The development of the Budapest-Belgrade railway line will provide a solution for both land transport needs, via Turkey, and combined water and rail transport needs. Thus, the most important rail transport routes from Asia will pass through Hungary, opening up huge potential for economic development, he said.

The renewed Röszke line, together with the investment on the Serbian side, will reconnect Szeged and Subotica on a modern railway line. The development will continue on the Hungarian side, the renovation of the section – including the overhead line – should be completed by next autumn, and passenger transport can start then, Dávid Vitézy said.

Hungary Ukraine grain food transport
Read also Hungary aids Ukraine grain deliveries

Zoltán Pafféri, President and CEO of MÁV Zrt., reminded that the 20 wagons of Rail Cargo Hungaria Zrt. are the first trains to pass through the Szeged-Röszke line in seven years. The line, built in 1863, ceased to operate regular services in 2015.

The European Union has set a target of increasing the share of rail and waterborne transport in short- and medium-distance freight and passenger transport by 50 percent by 2050, thus reducing emissions by 60 percent.

The demand for freight transport between Budapest and Belgrade has already increased compared to previous years, and this demand can really develop once the project is completed,” said the CEO.

Zoltán Pafféri said it was symbolic that the first train on the renovated Röszke line is heading for China, proving that European businesses have a return.

MÁV Zrt. will be able to guarantee the border crossing for up to ten trains a day between 18:00 and 08:00 from 1 August, he said.

At the same time, the President and CEO asked drivers on the Szeged-Röszke line not to drive out of routine and to approach level crossings with special care. As part of the project, 13 level crossings on the line will be modernised, with light or light and semi-blocking, and the crossing roads will also be renovated.

freight_transport_hub_hungary
Read also Will Hungary be Central Europe’s freight transport hub?

Orbán holds phone talk with Serbian president

Hungary-Serbia-migration-Orbán

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday spoke with Aleksandar Vucic, the Serbian president by phone and they stated their commitment towards cooperation between their respective countries.

The two leaders emphasised that Hungary and Serbia will support each other and will together to overcome difficult challenges Europe is to face in the coming period.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, Vucic and Orbán also discussed the situation in the region, the migration crisis, topical EU affairs and global issues.

Vucic expressed thanks to the Hungarian government for the help it provided in storing gas with which the country has contributed to ensuring Serbia’s energy security.

The two sides said that bilateral cooperation in energy is faring well.

As we wrote on Monday, Hungarian minister discusses energy in Belgrade, details HERE.

serbia_migration_attack_police
Read alsoOne dead after migrants’ armed clash near the Serbian-Hungarian border

Hungarian minister discusses energy in Belgrade

Using hydrogen as a source of energy and opportunities for energy cooperation between Hungary and Serbia were topics Hungarian Technology and Innovation Minister László Palkovics covered during talks in Belgrade on Monday.

Palkovics met Zorana Mihajlovic, Serbia’s minister for mining and energy, as well as Nenad Popovic, the minister without portfolio for innovation.

Palkovics said after the talks he had discussed energy cooperation with Mihajlovic, and concluded that both countries had to rely on renewable energies of their own rather than imports. He said solar, wind, and geothermic energies were a crucial part of both countries’ energy strategies. Palkovics and Mihajlovic also signed a memorandum of understanding concerning an exchange of experience in hydrogen storage.

Palkovics noted that Hungary had adopted a hydrogen strategy two years ago, while Serbia had just completed a similar document. He said the two countries’ close proximity and their similarities offered opportunities for not only an exchange but physical cooperation in projects concerning hydrogen storage, too.

At the talks, the Hungarian minister proposed to set up a joint team of scientists to focus on robotics, energy storage, and applications of nuclear energy in future.

As we wrote in June, Hungary and Serbia have reached an energy deal for ensuring both countries’ energy security which is more comprehensive and significant than any agreement signed hitherto, details HERE.

szijjártó serbia
Read alsoMigration reaches ‘new level of danger’, says Hungarian FM Szijjártó in Serbia

Serbian man wanted for murder arrested at Röszke in Hungary

Border crossing Röszke Serbia

A Serbian national wanted for a homicide in France has been arrested at the Röszke motorway border crossing with Serbia, police said on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old man tried to cross into Serbia as a car passenger on Tuesday night, police said on their website. An inspection by the police revealed that the French authorities had issued an arrest warrant on suspicion the man had carried out a homicide.

The Serbian was taken into custody and awaits an extradition procedure, the police said.

Ambulance car budapest healthcare ambulance service in Budapest
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Government: emigration greatest threat to community’s survival

Airport

The greatest threat to any community’s survival is its members migrating abroad which was a challenge that Serbia faced in the 1990s but the ethnic Hungarian community in Vojvodina has recovered from it, a foreign ministry official said in Mali Idos (Kishegyes) on Friday.

Levente Magyar told the Vojvodina Free University that the economy must be developed and young people must be guaranteed a future and perspective for growth in order to convince them to stay and succeed in their home country.

Ever since 2010, the Hungarian government has been making efforts to demonstrate that it bears responsibility for all Hungarians. Successful programmes have been launched to support ethnic Hungarians beyond the borders and Serbia’s government has been open to receiving these programmes, he added.

The government plans to continue developing the system of support once the current war situation and the resulting economic difficulties enable this, he said.

Deputy head of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians Bálint Pásztor said that despite the ethnic Hungarian community of Vojvodina not being the largest such community abroad, three initiatives had originated from the area, including dual citizenship, economic development and autonomy. Progress has been made throughout the Carpathian Basin in all three areas but Vojvodina has managed to advance the most, he added.

Read also Minister: migrants at Hungary’s borders “have no right to cross”

Rail cargo transport could be alternative to sea shipping, says Hungarian minister

85.6 million euros to supporting Hungary's railway cargo transport

László Palkovics, Hungary’s minister of technology and industry, on Tuesday said he had discussed the potential of rail freight transport as an alternative to sea shipping at the inaugural meeting of a Bulgarian-Hungarian-Serbian-Turkish transport working group in Istanbul.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has shown that modes of shipment that had earlier seemed realistic “will be less of an option now” and Ukraine will have to be bypassed, Palkovics told MTI by phone on the sidelines of the meeting.

Palkovics said that at his last meeting with his Turkish counterpart six months ago, they had discussed a number of different topics, including coordination in connection with the Budapest-Belgrade rail line.

He noted that Turkey has set up a consortium to determine how the Turkish and Bulgaria-Serbia-Hungary rail line could best be used.

The European Union currently moves 20 percent of commodities by rail, and the aim is to increase this share to at least 50 percent by 2050, the minister said.

Palkovics said the working group’s meeting had centred on the infrastructure to be developed by the four countries, noting the importance of maintenance.

The working group’s participants agreed to start building the required trains, Palkovics said, adding that Hungary had already started doing its part.

The four countries also agreed to explore possible passenger transport developments, the minister said.

Whereas the shipment of goods from Europe to China takes 45 days by sea, rail shipment would take only 12 days, Palkovics said. Tuesday’s meeting created the possibility for considering alternative modes of shipping, he added.

The working group will next meet in October, he said.

As we wrote on January, Russia prepared to contribute to construction of rail line bypassing Budapest, details HERE.

railway frankfurt high speed
Read alsoHigh-speed railway to link Budapest, Warsaw, Prague, Bratislava soon?

Migration reaches ‘new level of danger’, says Hungarian FM Szijjártó in Serbia

szijjártó serbia

Migration pressure at Hungary’s southern border has reached a “new level of danger”, the foreign minister said in Subotica (Szabadka), in northern Serbia, after meeting Nikola Selakovic, his Serbian counterpart on Monday.

Péter Szijjártó insisted that migrants were “increasingly aggressive and violent”, adding that “they now have weapons and they use them”.

Szijjártó said Europe was facing “dramatic challenges” including a “permanent inflationary environment” due to the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia.

“The migrant crisis is aggravating… and Hungary has to face that challenge presenting itself as pressure from the south and the east at the same time,” he said.

As we wrote on the weekend, Afghan and Pakistani migrants clashed in a forest close to the Hungarian-Serbian border yesterday night, details: One dead after migrants’ armed clash near the Serbian-Hungarian border

He told a joint press conference that as a result of the increasingly intensive war in Ukraine, the number of migrants at Hungary’s eastern borders was growing, with over 10,000 refugees arriving daily, totaling over 820,000 so far.

“Concurrently, the pressure of migration is growing. More than 110,000 illegal migrants have been stopped at our southern border so far,” he said and added that increasingly violent migrants carrying guns posed a security threat for both Serbia and Hungary. “We must make it clear that this is not a human rights issue,” he said. “I would like to make it clear that these people attacking our police and acting aggressively in Serbia, shooting guns, have no right whatsoever to enter Hungary’s territory,” he added.

Szijjártó said the migrants had been crossing through safe countries and violated several borders, which means that they arrived in Serbia by committing a series of crimes and “nobody has the right to act this way”. The situation will get increasingly serious because the war in Ukraine results in the threat of famine at several locations in the world, he said. “The food supply crisis will most probably put a more serious migratory pressure on Serbia and Hungary alike. As a result, I believe we are in the last hour that Brussels and NGOs linked to [US financier] George Soros should stop encouraging migrants and organising migration,” he added.

“We are asking Brussels and NGOs linked to Soros not to encourage the migrants, not to abet them to commit crimes and to violate the sovereignty of countries, such as Serbia and Hungary,”

he said. The responsibility for violent crimes committed by migrants, including acts that caused the loss of lives, lies with those that encourage migrants to come to Serbia and Hungary, he said.

Szijjártó said Hungary would not allow any illegal migrants to enter and advised them to not even try. “It is not worth coming to Serbia because they will not be able to move on to Hungary,” he added.

He said that while Hungary was fulfilling its duty to let in and help people fleeing from war in the east and stop the illegal migrants in the south, Brussels was holding back monies due to Hungary “in an effort of political blackmail”.

Szijjártó also said that cooperation between Serbia and Hungary was a success story, with a spectacular increase in trade between the two countries. During the first four months of this year, trade increased by 117 percent compared to the same period of last year and the increase was 42 percent in the whole of 2021 compared to the year before, he added.

He said the modernisation of the Belgrade – Budapest railway link, “the largest joint effort of all times”, had already entered a phase of implementation also in Hungary. As a result, under an agreement signed by the ministers on Monday, rail traffic on the line will be stopped from August 1, and cargo traffic will be moved to the Szeged-Subotica line which had been refurbished.

Commenting on energy issues, he said the two countries had recently made arrangements to ensure that “natural gas from Russia, which is critical for the security of energy supplies in Serbia, as well as in Hungary, and for the time being cannot be replaced, should securely arrive in Serbia and Hungary,” he said.

Alaksandar Vucic and Péter Szijjártó energy Serbia
Read alsoNew energy deal: Hungary to store Serbia’s gas

Minister: migrants at Hungary’s borders “have no right to cross”

Hungary is “under simultaneous pressure from the east and from the south”, the foreign minister told public Kossuth Rádió on Sunday morning.

Péter Szijjártó said that some 12,000-13,000 refugees were arriving daily from war-stricken Ukraine, adding that “when fleeing from war, you cannot go anywhere but to a neighbouring country”. On the other hand, migrants at Hungary’s southern borders “have no right to cross” since they “violated the borders of several safe countries including Serbia and Hungary”.

Hungary will maintain strict border controls,

therefore “there is a great need” to set up an independent force for that purpose, he said.

Besides the east, NATO should also focus on challenges in the south, with special regard to an increasing threat of terrorism, and a possible famine due to interrupted grain supplies from Ukraine, which could trigger “unprecedented” waves of migration, Szijjártó warned.

“Peace is in Hungary’s interest in every possible aspect,” the minister said, adding that “each minute of the war in Ukraine poses a security threat”. The Hungarian military, therefore, needs to be developed, “to which end defence spending will reach 2 percent of GDP next year”, he said.

An atmosphere of war has overtaken NATO, Szijjártó said but added that “luckily the position prevails that everything must be done to avoid a direct conflict between NATO and Russia”. He called it a “wise decision” that

NATO as an alliance will not send weapons to Ukraine “as that would threaten an even greater tragedy”.

Concerning energy, Szijjártó said that in view of “energy prices earlier thought inconcieavable” those countries will be safe in future that are able to produce sufficient energy for their own consumption. The upgrade of the Paks nuclear plant “will be of tremendous help” to Hungary, he added.

The Hungarian government is “continously speeding up the project” so that the two new blocks could start production in 2030, Szijjártó said, adding that the upgraded plant and solar developments would bring the country “very near to self-sustenance” in terms of electricity.

Construction at Paks is not hindered by European sanctions against Russia, as peaceful use of nuclear energy is “not impacted in any way” by those restrictions, Szijjártó said.

One dead after migrants’ armed clash near the Serbian-Hungarian border

serbia_migration_attack_police

Afghan and Pakistani migrants clashed in a forest close to the Hungarian-Serbian border yesterday night. The severe armed conflict left at least one dead and six injured. The migrants even clashed with local Serbian police who wanted to stop the bloodshed.

According to 24.hu, the hospital of Szabadka, a city of 141 000 residents populated by more than 50 000 Hungarians in North Serbia, treated six Pakistani and Afghan migrants today. They attacked each other near the forest of Makkhetes with firearms.

Locals were woken up to gunshots, but they first thought it was just a drill or the sound of an ice protection system. The six injured were taken into hospital because of injuries they suffered from guns. A 16-year-old girl is in the most severe condition. The healthcare staff is still struggling for her life.

Based on the report of Pannon RTV, the illegal migrants opened fire on the Serbian police officers. Currently, units of the interior ministry are still there.

The police department of Szabadka received the first call about the armed conflict at 3 AM this morning. A local said that he heard gunshots from the nearby forest. Police arrived at the scene with significant forces dressed in bulletproof vests. They blocked all roads leading from and to the forest.

Serbian interior minister Aleksandar Vulin arrived there by noon. The president of the local community, Mirsad Nalić, said he had no official information about what happened. The police have not yet finished their operation, he added. However, he highlighted that they cooperated perfectly with the interior ministry, the local police and the border guards.

“Police officers are constantly present, they transport migrants daily, but the illegal migrants always return. I want to stress that there was no incident in the village, public security is good, and the citizens are safe”, Mr Nalić concluded.

Below you can find the report of Pannon RTV. Unfortunately, however, it is in Hungarian:

VIDEO: This is how illegal migrants attack official cameras and fences at the Hungarian border

illegal migrants hungary border

The Hungarian police have compiled the various methods used by migrants to try to destroy cameras on Hungary’s southern border. From the Serbian side, they have easy access to the fence and for some reason they see the camera as a primary enemy. And in the second part of the video, you can see the migrants climbing over the fence being chased away by Hungarian police:

Unidentified plane from Hungary intercepted in Romania by the USA

Hungarian Defence Forces Fighter Jet Military Aircraft Gripen

An unidentified small plane from Hungary passed over the western part of Romania’s airspace on Wednesday evening, and two US Air Force fighter jets were alerted to intercept it.

Aircraft without permission

The low-flying, Beechcraft twin-engine aircraft took off without permission in the Debrecen area at 5.30 PM Eastern European time. Eight minutes later, it was intercepted by Hungarian Gripen aircrafts, but the small aircraft did not respond to radio calls or visual signals, according to 24.hu.

The unidentified aircraft, flying with its transponder switched off, entered Romanian airspace at 5.49 PM in the Nagyvárad (Oradea) region. At 5.58 PM, it was followed by two F-16 fighters of the US Air Force on patrol in the Romanian airspace.

No hostile behaviour

According to the Romanian Ministry of Defence (MAPN), the small aircraft did not display any dangerous or hostile behaviour, but continued to fail to respond to the internationally used radio and visual signals of the fighter aircraft sent to intercept it, as 24.hu writes.

The plane continued its flight to Karánsebes-Szörényvár, crossed Serbian airspace for two minutes at around 7:00 PM, and then flew over to Bulgaria. In the meantime, the two American fighters returned to the Fetești airbase, while two Bulgarian F-16s took over the pursuit of the target.

Investigation

According to MAPN, Bulgarian authorities began a ground investigation on Wednesday evening in the area where the unidentified aircraft was last detected by radar.

The Romanian Ministry of Defence has no precise information on what happened to the small plane after it entered Bulgarian airspace, as it disappeared from military radar screens (which could indicate that it either landed or crashed in Bulgaria). Bulgarian authorities are currently investigating the area around the last known position of the target to identify the aircraft and establish the details, as Telex.hu reported.

What does interception mean?

Senior pilot Csaba Ugrik earlier spoke to Index about what the term interception means in this context:

“The idea is to approach with safety in mind, keeping your distance and signalling to the intercepted aircraft that you have ‘got them’. Then visual identification is done, reading the number on the vertical control plane, determining the colour, identifying the aircraft type, and we also try to take photos of the intercepted aircraft. When we are done with the VID, the collected data is passed on to the headquarters, where we get a response telling us whether to follow the aircraft or everything is OK, their flight is safe, we can return home.”

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