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The Hungarian government has ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country over activities described as “unacceptable for diplomats”.
The government has not provided further details, but according to press and intelligence reports, Hungary has become a hub for Russian intelligence activities.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Russian ambassador in Budapest that, according to our assessment, 10 employees of the Russian mission engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said in a social media post, adding that Hungary had called on those concerned to leave the country.
“This does not mean the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia. Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue, based on mutual respect and compliance with the rules,” Orbán said.
The Hungarian government has not yet responded to Euronews’ request for comment on whether the alleged misconduct involved espionage.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told journalists on Tuesday that the response to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats “will be harsh and painful”, describing Hungary’s actions as the work of the “Russophobic lobby in Budapest”.
Experts and officials have long expressed concern about Russia’s extensive spy network in Hungary, established during the 16-year rule of former prime minister Viktor Orbán, who maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Last week, Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo reported that at least 15 of the 47 staff at the Russian embassy in Budapest have links to Russian intelligence, with a further six suspected of similar connections.
Viktor Orbán’s government faced repeated criticism for its inaction over Russian intelligence-gathering activities in the country.
In 2022, investigative outlet Direkt36 revealed that the Hungarian foreign ministry’s IT system had been hacked by Russian intelligence services the FSB and GRU, which had access to sensitive data for several years. The government initially denied the breach but admitted two years later that it had occurred.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government, which came to power after a landslide election victory in April, has pledged to end close cooperation with the Russian regime.
Foreign policy expert and former diplomat István Szentiványi told Euronews that the expulsions were directly linked to espionage and represented a clear policy shift in Budapest.
“The expulsion of 10 diplomats is a very strong and clear signal that Hungary does not want to be the centre of Russian intelligence-gathering in Central Europe,” Szentiványi said.
Hungary adopted a new foreign policy doctrine last month, which identified Russia as a threat to the country’s security.