Hungarian spies allegedly captured by the Security Service of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine (Служба безпеки України, SBU) has made very serious accusations, saying that a Hungarian spy network has been intercepted in the country.

For the first time in Ukraine's history, the Security Service has uncovered a network of Hungarian military intelligence agents who were conducting espionage activities to the detriment of our state,

the report states.

According to the report, the primary mission of the intercepted agent network was to gather information on the military security of the Transcarpathian region, to identify vulnerabilities in the region's ground and air defences, and to study the socio-political views of the local population. According to them, they were specifically looking at what the locals would say if Hungarian troops entered the territory of Transcarpathia.

The SBU reported that two agents were detained. During the investigation it was established that the contact person of the detained men was a professional intelligence officer of the Hungarian military intelligence.

According to the Ukrainian security service, they were tasked with studying the mood of the local population and gathering information on the following topics:

• what would be the reaction of the military and civilian population of Transcarpathia if a peacekeeping contingent, especially the Hungarian army, entered the region;
• what military equipment and weapons can be bought on the black market in Transcarpathia;
• what is the situation with the migration of the Hungarian population in the region;
• what military forces are stationed in Transcarpathia, how many transport and combat vehicles are there;
• how well equipped are the law enforcement agencies and what is their number.

It was documented that one of the individuals then personally reconnoitered the location of the Defence Forces and the coordinates of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems in the region.

Once the requested data had been collected, it was, according to the SBU, transmitted to Hungary.

According to the report, the liaison officer handed over cash to a person identified by the Ukrainians as a spy to carry out the tasks. They added that the undercover man also tried to recruit at least two people to carry out the tasks. According to the SBU statement, it was hoped that by expanding the network they would be able to obtain much more information, specifically from the front line and its immediate surroundings. The Ukrainian counterintelligence documented the second meeting in March 2025, when one of the individuals received a secured mobile phone.

Cover photo (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images