Ukrainian Security Service Breaks up Hungarian Spy Network in Western Ukraine, Raising Alarms Over Orbán’s Territorial Ambitions
Zakarpattia region, Ukraine – On May 9, 2025, at 06:46 UTC, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the nation’s leading counterintelligence agency, uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia, a strategically vital region near Ukraine’s western border with Hungary.
The operation, which led to the arrest of two Hungarian agents, lending further credibility that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in a shadowy deal with Russia’s Vladimir Putin, may be plotting to seize a piece of Ukrainian territory amid the ongoing war.
The SBU raid took place in Berehove, a city in Zakarpattia known for its significant ethnic Hungarian population. Acting on intelligence gathered over several months, SBU operatives from the elite Alpha Group stormed a residential building in the early hours, detaining the agents.
Ukrainian journalist Maria Drutska shared an image on X showing SBU agents in camouflage uniforms escorting a handcuffed suspect, with the SBU logo and “СБУ УКРАЇНА” (Security Service of Ukraine) visible. Seized items included encrypted communication devices, maps of military sites, and reports on local sentiment toward a potential Hungarian military presence.
The SBU revealed that the Hungarian network was collecting detailed intelligence on Zakarpattia’s military defenses, focusing on vulnerabilities in air and land systems crucial to Ukraine’s security. More alarmingly, the agents were tasked with gauging how locals might react to Hungarian troops entering the region—a clear sign that Budapest may be preparing for a territorial grab.
The SBU, Ukraine’s primary security agency since 1992, is tasked with counterintelligence and protecting national sovereignty, often likened to the FBI or MI5. With U.S. support, including from the CIA, the SBU has intensified its operations since Russia’s 2022 invasion, dismantling numerous Russian spy networks. This latest bust, however, points to a new threat from within NATO itself, as Hungary’s actions raise questions about its intentions.
Zakarpattia’s history adds fuel to these concerns. Once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the region became Ukrainian in 1944 after Soviet annexation.
Orbán has repeatedly clashed with Kyiv over the rights of ethnic Hungarians, blocking Ukraine’s NATO integration and accusing Ukraine of mistreating its Hungarian minority. His government’s cozy ties with Moscow—resisting EU sanctions on Russia and delaying aid to Ukraine—suggest a deeper alignment. Analysts speculate that Orbán’s espionage operation could be part of a tacit agreement with Putin: in exchange for Hungary’s support in weakening Western unity, Russia might greenlight Budapest’s ambitions to reclaim Zakarpattia, echoing the Kremlin’s own territorial playbook in Crimea.
Russia has long exploited Zakarpattia’s ethnic tensions, using disinformation to stoke unrest and distract Ukraine from the eastern front. Orbán’s moves, whether directly coordinated with Moscow or not, play into this strategy, potentially carving out a piece of Ukraine for Hungary while Putin watches approvingly. As Ukraine fights for survival, this incident underscores the urgent need for NATO to address Hungary’s dangerous provocations before they escalate into a broader conflict.