Hungary orders expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats over Vienna Convention violations

Diplomatic expulsions ordered

The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed officials on Tuesday to notify the Russian ambassador in Budapest that 10 members of the Russian mission must leave Hungarian territory. Foreign Minister Anita Orbán announced the expulsion on social media, stating that national security authorities assessed the 10 individuals had engaged in activities prohibited for diplomats under the Vienna Convention. Foreign Minister Orbán, who has no familial relation to former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, did not outline the specific actions taken by the expelled personnel. Prime Minister Péter Magyar confirmed the decision on social media, writing that his administration will defend the country's sovereignty. The foreign minister clarified that the measure aims to protect national security and does not mean breaking diplomatic relations with Moscow.

Ten members of the Russian mission engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention.

Strategic shift in Budapest

The order is the first formal expulsion of Russian diplomats from Hungary since March 2018, when Budapest expelled a single intelligence officer after the Skripal nerve-agent poisoning in the United Kingdom. During the 16 years of rule by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Hungary avoided European-wide expulsions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, maintained Russian energy imports, and vetoed a 90 billion euro European Union aid package for Kyiv. Péter Magyar and his Tisza party took power following the parliamentary election on 12 April 2026, pivoting the country toward closer ties with the European Union and NATO. In May 2026, investigative outlet VSquare reported that Hungarian authorities had secretly expelled a Russian diplomat suspected of espionage alongside his wife. During a May parliamentary hearing, Anita Orbán stated that bilateral relations with Moscow could no longer operate on unilateral dependence.

Escalating diplomatic friction

Relations between Budapest and Moscow have cooled steadily since the new government assumed office. In May 2026, Foreign Minister Orbán summoned Russian Ambassador Evgeny Stanislavov to protest a Russian drone attack on the Transcarpathia region of western Ukraine, an area home to a sizeable ethnic Hungarian minority. Her predecessor had not summoned the Russian envoy at any point since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In August 2026, Prime Minister Magyar adopted new foreign policy guidelines stating that Russian actions in Ukraine threaten Hungary, European stability, and the Transcarpathian Hungarian community. Both Magyar and Orbán have repeatedly called on the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

Responses from Moscow and Brussels

The Russian government reacted immediately to the expulsions with pledges of diplomatic retaliation. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told state news agency TASS that Moscow would deliver a harsh response to the decision. Ambassador Stanislavov also rejected the Hungarian government's statements regarding dialogue and mutual respect.

The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful.

European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand stated on Tuesday that the European Union anticipated a hostile response from Moscow in light of persistent Russian hybrid operations against member states. Wigand confirmed that EU institutions are coordinating with Budapest and expressed support for member states exercising their rights under international diplomatic law. The expulsions follow reporting from Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo, which found that nearly one-third of the 47 staff members at the Russian embassy in Budapest maintained ties to Russian intelligence services.