Ukraine Expels Hungarian Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move Over Espionage Claims

Ukraine has ordered two Hungarian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours, responding to Hungary’s earlier expulsion of two Ukrainian diplomats from Budapest on espionage allegations.

This was reported by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha on X.

“Two Hungarian diplomats must leave our country within 48 hours. We have just summoned the Hungarian ambassador to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and handed him a corresponding note,” the minister said.

According to the minister, the move is based on the principle of reciprocity and in line with Ukraine’s national interests.

Earlier the same day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said two Ukrainian diplomats had been expelled for allegedly conducting intelligence activities while working at the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest.

The diplomatic row follows the announcement by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) that it had dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating on Ukrainian territory.

The Hungarian government reacted sharply, accusing Kyiv of aligning with Hungary’s opposition party “Tysa,” a key challenger to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling coalition in the 2026 elections.

“The Hungarian government considers such actions deeply concerning. In recent history, there has been no precedent of a domestic political actor cooperating with the intelligence services of a neighboring state,” the government said in a statement.

According to the SBU, one of the detained operatives was a 40-year-old former military serviceman from Berehove district, recruited by Hungarian intelligence in 2021. He was reportedly placed on standby to monitor local sentiment and gather intelligence on how the population and Ukrainian forces might react to the potential deployment of a Hungarian peacekeeping contingent in Transcarpathia.

The agent was also tasked with identifying military assets, the location and number of Ukrainian troops, and assessing the strength and readiness of local law enforcement.

Another detainee is a former servicewoman of the Ukrainian Defense Forces who resigned in 2025. According to the investigation, she provided the Hungarian side with intelligence on aircraft, helicopters, and the defense systems at her former military unit in Transcarpathia.

Following their arrest, both suspects were remanded in custody without the possibility of bail.