Overview

• Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) announced the arrest of two former Ukrainian soldiers accused of spying for Hungarian military intelligence in the Zakarpattia region.
• The suspects allegedly gathered intelligence on Ukraine's air defense systems and military infrastructure, with instructions from a Hungarian military intelligence officer whose identity has been established.
• This marks the first documented case of a Hungarian espionage operation targeting Ukraine, with the suspects facing high-treason charges punishable by life imprisonment.
• Hungary responded by expelling two Ukrainian diplomats from its embassy in Budapest, labeling Ukraine's accusations as propaganda and denying any wrongdoing.
• The incident highlights existing ethnic and diplomatic tensions, as Hungary has long criticized Ukraine's treatment of its Hungarian minority and opposed military aid to Kyiv during the Russia-Ukraine war.