The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced that for the first time in the country's history it has exposed an agent network of Hungarian military intelligence operating in the territory of the western Ukrainian Transcarpathian region. This was reported by the "Interfax-Ukraine" agency, citing an official statement from the SBU, BTA reports.
According to the information, the mission of the spy network was to collect data on the defense capabilities of the region, including vulnerable points in land and air defense, as well as the attitudes of the local population regarding the political and public situation.
Two people identified as agents of the Hungarian special service were detained as part of the investigation. One of them is a 40-year-old former Ukrainian serviceman from the Berehove region, who was allegedly recruited in 2021 and placed in the so-called “waiting mode“ until activation.
The SBU does not disclose the specific name of the Hungarian intelligence structure, nor whether it has direct ties to political institutions in Budapest. There has been no official comment from the Hungarian side on the case so far.
The revelation comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Kiev and Budapest, caused by disputes over the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia, as well as Hungary's position on the war in Ukraine and its refusal to provide military assistance to Kiev.
If the allegations are confirmed, this would represent the most serious spy scandal between Ukraine and an EU and NATO member state since the beginning of the Russian invasion.