Ukraine accuses EU state of spying
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has said it dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network allegedly operating in Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost region. In a statement on X on Friday, SBU spokesman Artyom Degtyarenko said two Ukrainian military veterans – a man and a woman – were detained as part of the operation.
The network, Degtyarenko claimed, was run by Hungary’s military intelligence service and tasked with gathering sensitive data on Ukraine’s defenses in Transcarpathia. It also reportedly collected information on local socio-political views, including how residents might respond to a potential Hungarian military incursion.
“For the first time in the history of Ukraine, the Security Service has exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network, which carried out espionage activities to the detriment of our state,” Degtyarenko said. The SBU also released a video that purportedly shows the apprehension of the male suspect.
Both detainees are in custody and face charges of high treason. If convicted, they could face life in prison and property seizure, the spokesman said.
Asked to comment on the situation, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the SBU’s accusations as anti-Hungarian propaganda.
“In the past three years, it has unfortunately been proven that the Ukraine conflict is partly a propaganda war as well,” he told reporters on Friday. “It is clear that anti-Hungarian propaganda is often used in Ukraine, which in many cases has been found to have no basis whatsoever.”
In a separate Facebook post, Szijjarto said the “intensifying smear campaign” by the Kiev regime stems from Hungary’s refusal to support Ukraine militarily in its conflict with Russia. He warned that Ukraine’s EU accession depends partly on Hungary’s backing and said Budapest “won’t tolerate” slander from Kiev.
Szijjarto added that Hungary expelled two individuals on Friday who he said were Ukrainian agents operating under diplomatic cover at the embassy in Budapest.
Tensions between Kiev and Budapest have been growing over the Ukraine conflict, with Hungary refusing to supply weapons or support Ukraine’s EU bid while maintaining ties with Moscow despite pressure from Brussels.
Budapest has also long accused Kiev of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. Hungary has criticized Ukrainian laws that limit education and public administration in minority languages as infringing upon the rights of ethnic Hungarians.
