Hungary expells Ukrainian diplomats after Ukraine said it uncovered a Hungarian spy network

Ukraine's main security agency said it had uncovered a Hungarian-led espionage network that was seeking sensitive information about military protection and public opinion in the western region of Zakarpatia, which borders Hungary and has a significant population of Hungarian descent.

Hungary reacted by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats who, according to it, were considered spies, increasing tensions between the two neighboring countries, whose governments have disputes over Russia's war against Ukraine.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said on May 9 that it has arrested two people suspected of being agents in Zakarpatia – and claims that the man leading them is a Hungarian military intelligence officer.

The SBU said this is the first time Ukraine has discovered a Hungarian spy network working to undermine the country's security.

The announcement comes amid tensions between Ukraine and Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained warm relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and opposed sanctions on the Kremlin, despite Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Hungary has defended Kiev in its efforts to defend itself far less than most other European Union and NATO countries.

The development is also linked to the complicated situation in Zakaratia, where Kremlin critics say Russia has sought to stir up tensions between ethnic Hungarians and Ukrainian authorities.

A few hours after the SBU's announcement, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto stated that Hungary has expelled two diplomats from the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest, who were considered to be spies in disguise. In a video posted on Facebook, he said that a notice of expulsions was handed over to the Ukrainian ambassador at the Foreign Ministry.

Asked earlier about the SBU's statement, Szijjarto told ATV television that Hungary has not received any official notification about the case from Ukraine and that for the moment, "this should be treated as propaganda".

"[In addition to] the physical war [in Ukraine], a propaganda war is also taking place," Szijjarto said. "It is clear that anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used in Ukraine, propaganda that in many cases has turned out to have no basis."

The network's purported goals were "to collect data on the military defense of the Zakarpattia region, to look for weaknesses in the region's ground and air defense, as well as to study the social and political views of local residents," including how they might react "if Hungarian forces enter the region," the SBU statement said.

The Hungarian prime minister's office and the Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to REL's requests for comment.

The SBU said one of the suspects is a 40-year-old former soldier from the Berehove district of Zakaratia - home to Ukraine's Hungarian ethnic minority of about 100,000 people. He was recruited in 2021, and was used by the alleged leader in September 2024.

The SBU claims to have documents as evidence showing that the suspect was gathering information on the location of Ukrainian air defense systems and other military capabilities.

The other suspect, a woman, is a former member of Ukraine's Security and Defense Forces, who resigned from her unit earlier this year, the statement said.

The names of the suspects have not been announced./REL