DISINFO: Refinery blasts are NATO’s punishment for Hungary and Romania’s ties with Russia
SUMMARY
Blasts in refineries are NATO’s punishment for Hungary and Romania’s ties with Russia. Earlier this week, explosions ripped through two refineries in Romania and Hungary. The incidents are currently investigated by the authorities. It can’t be ruled out that the blasts could be part of a European deliberate sabotage operation to stop Hungary and Romania’s energy relationship with Russia as the EU is fulfilling the US agenda, promoted by NATO. On the one hand, the goal is to cut off Russia's revenue, forcing Kremlin to end the Ukraine conflict and concede to Western demands. On the other hand, the explosions could be a form of NATO's punishment intended to warn Hungary and Romania of possible future adverse consequences.
RESPONSE
The claim is unsubstantiated. This is part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to exploit incidents in Russian-linked refineries in Romania and Hungary in order to advance a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about NATO as an ever-aggressive and destabilizing power.
There was no evidence of external involvement, let alone EU involvement, contrary to the disinformation story's claims. Romania’s police started an investigation on the incident at the Ploiesti refinery -an explosion in the industrial sewage system during overhaul works carried out by contractors. While the Hungarian government announced a full probe on the fire at the MOL Százhalombatta refinery. The CEO of the company stated that there's no evidence of external interference causing the fire and denied any connection to the Romanian oil refinery explosion. Experts pointed to human error as the culprit of the fire. Nonetheless, pro-Kremlin disinformation attempted to spread speculations about sabotage by reporting a third fake incident in Slovakia, which was refuted by the company.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives, such as claims that Europe can stage horrific provocations to draw the US into confrontation with Russia, that the UK and Ukrainian intelligence services are preparing to undermine the Turkish Stream, that the UK is preparing a provocation involving a group of traitor Russians to frame Russia and China, or that NATO is preparing a strike against infrastructure facilities in Russia.