Hungary and Ukraine: spy row and deportations

On Friday, May 9, a citizen of Ukraine, who used to work as a diplomat, was detained in the center of the Hungarian capital, Budapest, and later deported. It follows Ukraine’s revelation that exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network on its territory.

The video of the Ukrainian’s detention in Budapest was released by the press service of the Hungarian government, as reported by Telex.

Official Budapest said that the Anti-Terrorist Center detained a Ukrainian citizen in the center of Budapest.

“The General Directorate for Foreigners and Migration issued a decision to ban him from entering and staying in the country on suspicion of espionage. After clarifying the circumstances… the man was expelled from the territory of Hungary, given that his activities significantly threatened the sovereignty of our country,” the statement said.

According to Telex, the detained and expelled man is S. A., who worked as a diplomat at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest several years ago but has not had diplomatic status in Hungary for a long time.

His wife is a co-owner of a Ukrainian restaurant in Budapest. Currently, S. A. has left Hungary and is already in Kyiv.

Commenting on the situation, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhyi noted that “it is time for the Hungarian authorities to put an end to the senseless anti-Ukrainian hysteria.”

He also emphasized that “when the evidence runs out, the witch hunt begins.”

On Friday, the Security Service of Ukraine announced that it had exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network that had been conducting espionage activities in the Zakarpattia region, bordering Hungary, including “testing the waters” regarding the mood of local residents and their reaction to the potential appearance of “Hungarian peacekeepers” in the region.

At first, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that Budapest had not received any official reports from Kyiv about the exposed network of Hungarian spies and referred to “anti-Hungarian propaganda.”

A few hours later, however, Budapest announced that it was expelling two Ukrainian diplomats, accusing them of espionage. Szijjártó complained about “increasingly strong anti-Hungarian propaganda” in Ukraine and “a campaign of discreditation against Hungarians.”

He said that two “spies” allegedly operating under diplomatic cover at the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest were expelled from Hungary on May 9. The decision has just been handed over to the Ukrainian ambassador in Budapest.

Ukraine responded by announcing the expulsion of two Hungarian diplomats. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha said that Kyiv was acting in response to Hungary’s actions based on the principle of reciprocity and national interests of Ukraine.

The Hungarian authorities also argue that Ukraine’s statement about the exposure of Hungary’s intelligence network on its territory indicates cooperation between Kyiv and the opposition Tisa party.