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Hungary Detains Alleged Ukrainian Spy—Turns Out to Be Russian National
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![Photo of Liubava Petriv]( "Photo of Liubava Petriv")
A man detained in Budapest and publicly accused by Hungarian authorities of espionage—identified at the time as a Ukrainian diplomat—has appealed his deportation to Ukraine after providing evidence that he is a citizen of the Russian Federation.
According to hungarian news portal Telex, citing Blikk, the individual was detained on May 9 in central Budapest by the Counter Terrorism Centre. He had served at Ukraine’s embassy in Hungary during the 2010s but no longer held diplomatic status.
Hungarian counterintelligence reportedly classified him as an “illegal intelligence operative,” referring to individuals conducting intelligence work without diplomatic cover or immunity.
Although he was not charged with a crime, Hungarian authorities initiated deportation proceedings on national security grounds, seeking to return him to Ukraine.
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At a court hearing on June 5, his legal representatives argued that he is a Russian citizen and intended to travel to Russia, not Ukraine. They said that Ukraine had been listed as his country of origin on a 2023 residency application because the form did not allow him to indicate dual citizenship.
The court overturned the deportation order, finding that he should have been allowed to leave for Russia voluntarily during the initial proceedings.
This followed Ukraine’s Security Service revealing it had uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating inside Ukraine. The group’s main task was to collect information on the military security of Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region, identify potential weaknesses in its ground and air defenses, and assess the political and social attitudes of local residents, including possible reactions to a hypothetical presence of Hungarian troops in the area.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has openly declared his determination to prevent Ukraine’s accession to the European Union, justifying his stance as a defense of Hungarian interests.
