Zelenskyy: Budapest using various means to interfere in Ukraine’s domestic affairs

Budapest tried to interfere in Ukrainian internal affairs in various ways, but most cases were resolved quietly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"There is nothing wrong with respecting each other. This is how problems can be solved. Let's put it this way: Budapest tried to interfere in Ukrainian internal affairs in dozens of different ways. You haven't heard about it. We stopped the illegal issuance of passports in Zakarpattia even before the war. We resolved most cases quietly, among themselves," Zelenskyy said in an interview with the Hungarian publication Válasz Online.

Speaking about the Hungarian intelligence agent network, which was exposed in early May, the president added that it had been built since 2021, and military issues were raised in 2024-25. The last transfer of information took place on March 25 of this year.

"Why did we make this case public? We have other photos and videos of various meetings organized by the Hungarian National Security Service on the territory of Hungary, which we will also publish if necessary. I do not want to threaten anyone, but in fact everything is at our disposal. Including how they paid its agent. We have documented everything," the president added.

According to him, the Hungarians wanted to obtain information about the placement of air defense system elements and about vulnerable spots in the Ukrainian-Hungarian border region.

"There were specific questions on their phones - we have them too: in eleven points, among other things, they were interested in what the residents of Transcarpathia would say about the presence of Hungarian peacekeepers. And also about where our various military units are deployed. How should we react to this in a war situation? I am not saying that Budapest wants something, but if it does not want it, then for whom is it collecting information?" Zelenskyy said.

The President added that he asked NATO officials whether they had asked the Hungarians to collect such data, "they answered that they had not asked." However, Zelenskyy stressed that he was not blaming Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but the Hungarian military national security service for this.

As reported, Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) said on May 9 that it had exposed an agent network of Hungarian military intelligence that was carrying out espionage activities. The task of this cell was to collect information about the military security of the Transcarpathian region, search for vulnerabilities in the region's ground and air defense, as well as study the socio-political views of local residents: in particular, scenarios of their behavior if Hungarian troops enter the region, the message on the Telegram channel says.

As a result of comprehensive measures in Zakarpattia, the SBU detained two agents from the Hungarian special service network. As the investigation established, the curator of both suspects was a regular employee of the Hungarian military intelligence, whose identity has already been identified by the SBU.

Later that day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the expulsion from the country of two employees of the Ukrainian embassy, ​​whom he accused of espionage.

"Today we expelled from Hungary two spies who worked under diplomatic cover at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest. We have just handed over the decision and the list to the Ukrainian Ambassador in Budapest here at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs," he said on Facebook.

Szijjártó also accused Ukraine of conducting an "anti-Hungarian propaganda campaign" in response to Hungary's "wanting peace."

In response, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha announced the expulsion of Hungarian diplomats from Ukraine.

"Two Hungarian diplomats must leave our country within 48 hours. We have just invited the Hungarian Ambassador to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and handed him a corresponding note. We are acting in response to Hungary's actions, based on the principle of reciprocity and our national interests," he said.