KYIV: Ukraine’s SBU safety company mentioned on Friday (Could 9) it had uncovered a spy community run by the Hungarian state to acquire intelligence about its defences, with Hungary responding to what it known as “propaganda” by expelling two individuals on the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest.
The SBU mentioned in a press release it had detained two suspected brokers who, it mentioned, have been being run by Hungarian army intelligence.
It was the primary time in Ukraine’s historical past {that a} Hungarian spy community had been discovered to be working towards Kyiv’s pursuits, it mentioned.
Hungary is a part of the European Union and NATO, two blocs with which Kyiv is intently allied in Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, however relations between Kyiv and Budapest have usually been fraught.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been sceptical about Western army help for Ukraine. He has additionally maintained relations with Vladimir Putin, placing him at odds with most different EU leaders, who’ve sought to isolate the Russian president since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The SBU mentioned the 2 suspects have been former members of Ukraine’s army, have been in custody and had been given discover they have been beneath suspicion of committing state treason.
It mentioned they have been recruited by a handler in Hungarian army intelligence, and given money and particular tools for secret communication.
The SBU mentioned the alleged brokers have been tasked with passing on to their handler particulars about Ukraine’s air defence batteries, and different army capabilities within the Transcarpathia area of southern Ukraine.
Ukraine is house to round 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, most of them within the Transcarpathia area. Orban’s authorities and Kyiv have clashed over the group’s language rights.
Hungarian International Minister Peter Szijjarto instructed a press convention he regarded the transfer as Ukrainian propaganda that must be handled with warning earlier than asserting that Budapest had expelled from Hungary two individuals it had recognized as spies.
“We don’t tolerate that Ukraine ought to repeatedly launch such defamatory acts towards Hungary and the Hungarian individuals,” Szijjarto mentioned in a Fb video.
“Subsequently, right this moment we’ve got expelled from Hungary two spies working beneath diplomatic cowl at Ukraine’s embassy in Budapest,” he mentioned.
Szijjarto accused Ukraine of usually utilizing anti-Hungarian propaganda that proved unfounded and mentioned Ukraine’s newest transfer was pushed by Hungary’s opposition to offering army help to Ukraine because it fends off Russia’s three-year-old invasion.
There was no quick response to a request for remark from the Hungarian authorities.
Hungary is a part of the European Union and NATO, two blocs with which Ukraine is intently allied within the conflict it’s combating with Russia.
Nonetheless, relations between the 2 international locations have usually been fraught. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been sceptical about Western army help for Ukraine.
He has additionally maintained relations with Vladimir Putin, placing him at odds with most different EU leaders who’ve sought to isolate the Russian president since Moscow’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The SBU mentioned the 2 suspects are former members of the Ukrainian army. It mentioned they have been recruited by a handler in Hungarian army intelligence, and given money and particular tools for secret communication.
The brokers have been tasked with passing on to their handler particulars about Ukraine’s air defence batteries, and different army capabilities within the Transcarpathia area of southern Ukraine, which borders Hungary.
