Russian Diplomats Are Being Expelled From Hungary

• 8.09.2026, 12:44

Ten employees of the diplomatic mission must leave the country.

Hungarian authorities have demanded that ten employees of the Russian diplomatic mission leave the country. This is the largest single expulsion of Russian diplomats in Hungarian history.

Foreign Minister Anita Orbán stated that the decision was made based on an assessment by Hungarian intelligence agencies.

“Ten staff members of the Russian mission were engaged in activities in Hungary that, according to the Vienna Convention, are unacceptable for a diplomat,” she said.

The Russian ambassador in Budapest has already been informed of the decision. According to Orban, the expulsion is intended to protect Hungary’s security and sovereignty.

At the same time, Budapest does not intend to sever diplomatic relations with Moscow and plans to maintain “the necessary dialogue based on mutual respect and adherence to the rules.”

After Péter Magyar came to power, Hungary began to noticeably shift away from the foreign policy course of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which was oriented toward close relations with Moscow and conflicts with Brussels. The new government set a course toward rapprochement with the EU and began to take a tougher stance on Russia’s actions: in August Budapest officially designated Moscow as a threat to Hungary, Europe, and the international order.