BUDAPEST, May 9 – Hungary has expelled two Ukrainian diplomats accused of conducting espionage under diplomatic cover, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced on Friday.
Szijjarto confirmed that the two expelled diplomats were stationed at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest.
The expulsion follows a recent move by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) to detain two individuals allegedly linked to a Hungarian intelligence network operating in western Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian media reports, the network was reportedly collecting sensitive military data in the Zakarpattia region, which is home to an ethnic Hungarian population. Authorities described the incident as the first of its kind in Ukraine’s history.
“The agents gathered data on Zakarpattia’s military defenses, looked for vulnerabilities, and analyzed how locals might react if Hungarian troops entered the region,” the Kyiv Post reported.
Szijjarto described the expulsion as a response to what he called “ongoing smear campaigns” against Hungary by Ukrainian authorities. He emphasized that Hungary continues to support peace and has consistently refused to send military aid to Ukraine or become involved in the conflict with Russia.
XINHUA