Hungary expels 10 Russian diplomats

Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban has decided to expel 10 employees of the Russian embassy — the largest such move in Hungary's history. She announced the decision on X, stating that the diplomats had engaged in activities incompatible with diplomatic status under the Vienna Convention.

A representative of the Hungarian foreign ministry informed the Russian ambassador in Budapest that these individuals must leave the country.

Relations with Russia not severed

Orban emphasized that the decision was taken to protect Hungary's security and sovereignty, but does not mean a break in diplomatic relations with Russia. She said Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue based on mutual respect and adherence to rules.

Historical context

Viktor Orban's government previously took a similar step in 2018, expelling one Russian diplomatic mission employee in solidarity with Britain after the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal.

In 2022, an investigation by Hungarian outlet Direkt36 and broadcaster RTL found that while most EU states expelled Russian diplomats after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the number of Russian diplomats in Hungary actually grew by nearly a third.

Investigative journalists, together with European security services, had earlier established that Vladimir Putin tasked a group of political technologists and Russian military intelligence with interfering in Hungary's parliamentary elections in April to secure Orban's victory, including placing social media manipulation specialists at the Russian embassy in Budapest. In May this year, Hungary quietly expelled a Russian intelligence officer who had operated under diplomatic cover and infiltrated right-wing and foreign policy think tanks close to Viktor Orban's government.