Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced today, September 9th, that the country will sign a new long-term contract for natural gas purchases, aiming to enhance energy security through diversified import routes. The specifics of the contract and whether it signals a departure from Russian gas imports were not immediately disclosed. Szijjártó stated that "Hungary will be safer the more routes and the more gas we can buy. That’s why today we are signing a new long-term contract for natural gas purchases," according to a statement released this morning. The announcement comes amid broader geopolitical developments, including reports of Ukrainian forces destroying Russian radar systems in Crimea and a Russian strike in the Donetsk region that killed at least 21 people. Previous reports from the night of September 8-9 detailed that Ukrainian military intelligence destroyed two Russian radar systems in Crimea. Separately, German company Rheinmetall announced a contract to supply Ukraine with Skyranger anti-aircraft defense systems by the end of 2025. Additionally, a fire was reported at an oil depot in Prokhorovka, Belgorod region, following a suspected drone strike, and there were reports of calls for the reintroduction of Soviet-era economic controls in Russia due to economic strain.
