Hungarian spy scandal in Ukraine: Has the Hungarian secret services collect military data for Moscow?

On May 9, the Ukrainian Internal Security Service (SZBU) published a video with the arrest of two agents who work for Hungarian military secret services in Transkarpathies (Kárpátalja), Ukraine. The recording not only documents the activities of the two men, but could also have extremely serious consequences from a diplomatic and national security perspective. The tensions between the Hungarian and the Ukrainian governments have reached a new level, and the scandal could also have a negative impact on the Hungarian community in Transkarpathies. Hungarian spy scandal based on information that is previously available:

Hungarian spy scandal in Ukraine

Timing alone speaks volumes. Although the arrest took place earlier, the SZBU only published the video on May 9, the victory day in World War II, which Russia celebrates with a grandiose military parade every year. In view of the selected symbolic date, it is reasonable to assume that the campaign should send a political message to Hungary and Russia. The decision to make the video public was probably not ad hoc: it is conceivable that NATO allies, including the United States, were informed in advance in view of the expected severity of the scandal.

One of the suspects was a 40-year-old former Ukrainian soldier from the Berehove district, where there is an important Hungarian minority (approx. 100,000 people). He was recruited in 2021 and activated for intelligence duties in September 2024. The other agent what a former soldier who left the service in 2025. According to the information in the video, local agents of hungarian intelligence were tasked with gathering military and social data: The movements of ukrainian units in Transcarpathia, Local Sentiment, and the Population's Reactions to the possible Arrival of Hungarian or Nato Peacepers were Among their Targets. The most surprising and worrying aspect, however, is that they tried to obtain specific information about Ukrainian air defense, in particular the exact type and location of S-300 rocket systems. The spy scandal therefore goes beyond the minority conflicts typical of the region: the military intelligence service of a NATO member state collected sensitive data on the defense system of a partner state in war – information that is much more valuable for Russia than for Hungary. The main question is why Budapest needs detailed information about the air defense of Transkarpathies. The Hungarian Air Force clearly has no plans to attack Ukraine. The Russian army, on the other hand, has already tried several drone and rocket attacks on LVIV on the southern airspace of Transkarpathia. Due to the specific features of the region – mountain range, limited electronic detection – this information could be of strategic importance for Moscow.

Hungary's reaction further tightened the dispute

After the scandal was broken, Hungary did not remain idle. The TEK conquered a Ukrainian citizen in Budapest in a spectacular operation. You can watch the video here: The Hungarian government shares a video of the dramatic arrest of the Ukrainian man in the middle of Spionage controversy. The score would be even if another person had been arrested. Nevertheless, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó did not calm the situation, but instead tightened it by ordering two Ukrainian secret service agents who worked under diplomatic cover to leave the country within 48 hours. This step was an escalation in several ways: on the one hand, he recognized the seriousness of the Ukrainian accusations, and on the other hand, it made it impossible for the parties to quietly pay the matter with diplomatic channels. The public nature of the expulsion and the short period of time also indicated that the Ukrainian side would be forced to take similar steps, exactly what happened.

The diplomatic conflict also had an impact on minority issues. Although Ukraine pointed out that they wanted to continue negotiations on the settlement of Hungarian minority rights regardless of the spy scandal, Hungary canceled the meeting in Uzhhorod at the last minute on May 12. The decision was made particularly rude: the Ukrainian deputy prime minister Olha Stefanishina had already arrived in the city because of the talks when it was informed about the withdrawal of the Hungarian team. All of this indicates that Budapest deliberately connects the Spionage scandal with dialogue about minority rights, although this affects the interests of the Hungarian community in Transkarpathia. Related articles: Hungary shifts minority law talks with Ukraine at the last minute

Domestic political communication on the part of the government

The Hungarian government then began to change the focus of domestic politics: in the media and in statements, the focus is increasingly being used to have whether the Tisza party, Péter Magyar or Romulus Ruszin-Szendi could have had connections to the Ukrainian side. Instead of looking for answers to the actual question – in whose interests has Hungarian secret services worked? – The focus has shifted to the political distraction of the domestic, and the goal here is, of course, to discredit the greatest political opponent, Péter Magyar, who performed on stage a year ago and is now held responsible for everything, including Brussels Proceedings and the freezing of EU funds a few years ago. Details here: Fidesz accuses the competition of Tisza Party of dealing with the Ukrainian secret services

Has Orbán lost the trust of the ethnic Hungarians abroad?

The government and the Fidesz are in ruins in relation to national politics, since Orbán and his government are closely related to Serbian nationalist President Aleksandar Vučić and anti-Hungarian Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, Robert Fico, who are inexplicable for Hungary. In addition, Orbán expressed his support for the nationalist Romanian presidential candidate George Simion during the Romanian presidential election, which was a slap in Transylvanian in Transylvania. At the same time, the spy scandal broke out in Ukraine, which could have embarrassing and serious consequences for Hungary in Transkarpathia.

A serious problem for NATO

However, the spy scandal not only raises serious questions in terms of Ukraine and the Hungarians in Transkarpathies. It could also have serious consequences within NATO if it is demonstrated that the secret services of a Member State served Russian interests. This not only weakens the position of Hungary as an ally, but could also undermine the country's credibility in relation to national security, not to mention the fact that the US secret services that work closely with Ukraine also approved the exposure of the Hungarian agents. What effects do this have on Washington and Trump's relationships with the Orbán government, which has been friendly so far? And we have not yet received an answer to the original question: Why do Hungarian secret services collect military data in Ukraine?

One thing is certain: Orbán's cabinet has not delivered a clear, understandable or logical explanation for the Ukrainian spy scandal, but instead attacked in all directions, which is not sufficient at this point. This will have a serious impact on domestic politics, NATO membership and relationships with Ukraine. We are very interested in finding out what Hungary's real intelligence goals are, and of course we will report on further developments in the case.