Zelenskyy accuses Hungary of meddling in Ukraine’s affairs
Hungary has attempted to interfere in Ukraine’s internal affairs “dozens of ways,” including through espionage activities by its Military National Security Service (KNBSZ), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with conservative Hungarian outlet Válasz Online on June 10.
Illegal passport distribution in Ukraine’s Zakarpattya Oblast was halted before Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with most issues handled quietly, according to Zelenskyy.
Ukraine has documented evidence, including photos and videos of KNBSZ-organized meetings on Hungarian soil, which could be released if necessary.
“I don’t want to threaten anyone, but we really have everything, including how KNBSZ paid its agent,” Zelenskyy said. “The Hungarian network was established in 2021, with military issues raised in 2024-2025. The last information transfer was on March 25 this year.”
He alleged Hungary sought vulnerabilities along the Ukraine-Hungary border, information on Ukraine’s S-300 air defense systems, and the locations of Ukrainian military units.
“How are we supposed to react during a war?” Zelenskyy asked. “I'm not saying that Budapest wants something, but if it doesn't want anything, then who is it gathering information for? I asked NATO representatives if they requested Hungary to collect such data. They said no. I’m the president of a country at war—how would you react in my place? I’m not accusing Viktor [Orban]; I’m accusing KNBSZ.”
On May 9, Ukraine’s SBU Security Service reported exposing a Hungarian military intelligence network in Zakarpattya Oblast, marking the first such case in Ukraine’s history.
Two agents, a 40-year-old former Ukrainian serviceman recruited in 2021 and a former Ukrainian servicewoman discharged in 2025, were detained for gathering data on Zakarpattya Oblast’s air defenses and local sentiment toward a potential Hungarian military presence.
A Hungarian military intelligence officer was allegedly their handler.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Budapest received no official notification from Ukraine about the detentions and dismissed the claims as “anti-Hungarian propaganda” often lacking evidence.
Hungary expelled two Ukrainian diplomats accused of spying, prompting Ukraine to reciprocate by expelling two Hungarian diplomats.
On May 9, Hungarian authorities detained former Ukrainian diplomat Serhiy Aleksandrov in Budapest for alleged espionage, which Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called “baseless anti-Ukrainian hysteria.”
On May 13, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed the SBU’s operation aimed to disrupt a referendum on Ukraine’s EU accession.
On May 20, Hungarian security services identified two more individuals suspected of spying for Ukraine.
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