The Hungarian National Security Service (KNBSZ) was looking for Ukraineʼs vulnerabilities in Transcarpathia. In particular, information about the location of air defense systems, Ukrainian military units, and the local attitude towards the presence of Hungarian peacekeepers in the region.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in an interview with the Hungarian publication Válasz Online.
Zelensky says Budapest has tried to interfere in Ukraineʼs internal affairs in "dozens of different ways". However, in May 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine for the first time publicly exposed a Hungarian military intelligence agent network that was spying against Ukraine.
"We stopped the illegal distribution of Transcarpathian passports even before the war. We considered most of the cases quietly, among ourselves. Why did we decide to make the current case public? We have additional photos and videos of various meetings organized by KNBSZ on the territory of Hungary, which we will also publish if necessary. I do not want to threaten anyone, but we have everything at our disposal. This includes how KNBSZ paid for its intelligence assets," Zelensky said.
The President added that the Hungarian network has been developing since 2021, and issues related to military affairs were raised in 2024-2025. The last time the information was transmitted was on March 25, 2025. According to him, KNBSZ employees even had a list of 11 questions on their phones, including what residents of Transcarpathia would say about the presence of Hungarian peacekeepers.
“How should we react to this during a war? I’m not saying that Budapest wants something, but if not, then who is it collecting information for? I asked NATO representatives if they had asked the Hungarians to collect data on such issues. They said no. I am the president of a country at war, how would you react if you were me? I don’t blame Viktor [Orban], I blame KNBSZ,” Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is using Ukraine for his own electoral goals and does not understand that this will have much more serious and dangerous consequences. In particular, he pointed to the radicalization of Hungarian society and its anti-Ukrainian sentiments. In this context, Zelensky stressed that by not helping Ukraine, Orban is doing a favor for Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
What preceded
On the morning of May 9, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had detained two agents of the Hungarian military intelligence spy network. According to the investigation, the former serviceman and former servicewoman of the Defense Forces of Ukraine were collecting information about the defense of Transcarpathia, looking for weaknesses in ground and air defense, and studying the mood of the locals — in particular, how they might behave if the Hungarian military entered the region. The suspects have already been sent for arrest.
After that, Hungary expelled two Ukrainian diplomats — Ukraine responded in kind. Later, a former diplomat from Ukraine was detained in Hungary and accused of espionage. Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhyi wrote at the time that “when the evidence runs out, the witch hunt begins”. And on May 20, Hungary declared that it had discovered two more “Ukrainian spies”.
- Hungary has consistently opposed military aid to Ukraine, its membership in the EU and NATO, and the lifting of sanctions against Russia. The country is even planning to hold a national consultation on whether Hungarians support Ukraineʼs accession to the EU. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has publicly urged citizens to vote against. However, this vote will not affect Ukraineʼs accession to the bloc.
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