Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced Friday it had arrested two former Ukrainian military personnel on suspicion of spying for Hungary, marking the first time Kyiv has uncovered an alleged Hungarian espionage network operating within its borders.
According to the SBU, the two suspects-identified only as a man and a woman-are former members of Ukraine's armed forces and are facing charges of high treason, which could result in life imprisonment. The arrests were made in the western region of Zakarpattia, a sensitive border zone with Hungary where ethnic Hungarian communities have long created political friction between the two countries.
The alleged agents were reportedly gathering intelligence on the disposition of Ukraine's defense forces in Zakarpattia, including the location of air defense systems such as the S-300 and numbers of combat and transport vehicles stationed in the region. The SBU stated the man "personally reconnoitered the deployments of the defense forces and the locations of S-300 surface-to-air missile systems."
Authorities say he was recruited in 2021 but only activated in September 2024. He allegedly traveled to Hungary under the guise of caring for a sick parent to deliver information directly to a Hungarian military intelligence officer, who provided cash and equipment for covert communication.
"Among other duties, the traitor was to recruit a network of informants," the SBU said. "The foreign intelligence service hoped to broaden its information-gathering scope to include data from both near-front and frontline regions."
During a second reported meeting in March 2025, the suspect was allegedly given a mobile phone equipped with special software to ensure secure communications with his handler. The SBU said he was instructed to identify Ukrainian official vehicles and relay information on Ukrainian Armed Forces casualties and frontline developments.
The second suspect, a former female service member, allegedly informed Hungarian intelligence about aircraft movements and defensive capabilities at her former military base. The SBU claims she severed ties with her unit in 2025 but remained in contact with Hungarian handlers.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó responded cautiously to the allegations. "I urge everyone to exercise caution against any news that appears in Ukrainian propaganda," he told reporters on Friday. "If we get any details or official information, then we can deal with it."
The Hungarian Ministry of Defense and its Military National Security Service have not issued a formal statement.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has increasingly clashed with Kyiv over EU funding and Ukraine's bid for membership in the bloc. On April 24, Orbán wrote on Facebook: "Ukraine's accession to the EU is endangering all our achievements so far. Don't let them overtake Hungarians!"
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky pushed back in comments reported by the Kyiv Post: "So, the people of Hungary are with us... Just don't drag us into your elections. That's what he [Orbán] is doing-by blocking us in the EU."
Orbán, in turn, accused Zelensky of overstepping. "And you cannot threaten the Hungarian people," he told lawmakers.
Hungary, a NATO and EU member, has drawn criticism from Western allies for its refusal to support military aid to Ukraine or allow arms transfers through its territory. The Orbán administration has also voiced support for lifting sanctions on Russia and remains one of the few governments in the EU with open lines to President Vladimir Putin.
