Ukraine expels two Hungarian diplomats in response to Hungary’s actions – Sybiha
Ukraine has declared two Hungarian diplomats in Kyiv persona non grata and ordered them to leave the country within 48 hours. The move comes in response to Budapest’s actions involving "espionage under diplomatic cover."
This was announced by Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, according to Censor.NET.
He stated that the Hungarian ambassador had been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed an official note.
"Two Hungarian diplomats are required to leave our country within 48 hours. We are acting in response to Hungary’s actions, based on the principle of reciprocity and our national interests," Sybiha added.
Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that Budapest was expelling two Ukrainian diplomats, allegedly for "espionage under diplomatic cover."
Background:
On May 9, Ukraine’s Security Service (SSU) announced that it had uncovered, for the first time in the country’s history, an espionage network operated by Hungarian military intelligence.
Two individuals were detained. According to Ukrainian security officials, they were collecting intelligence on the military defenses of Zakarpattia region, identifying vulnerabilities in ground and air defense infrastructure, and monitoring the socio-political views of local residents.
The investigation revealed that the handler of both agents was an officer of Hungary’s military intelligence, whose identity has already been established.
At the same time, Szijjártó called the case "propaganda that should be treated with caution."
