Ukraine arrests two over alleged Hungarian spy plot
www.bbc.com
Ukraine's security service says the state-backed spy network sought to obtain information about military defences on its border with Hungary.

Ukraine says it has uncovered a spy network being run by the Hungarian state to obtain intelligence about its defences near their shared border.

Ukraine’s security service said it had detained two alleged Hungarian spies who it accused of gathering intelligence.

“For the first time in Ukraine’s history, the Security Service has exposed a Hungarian military intelligence network that was conducting espionage activities to the detriment of our state,” the [Ukraine Intelligence Agency] SBU said.

[…]

Hungary is a member of the European Union and Nato - both firm allies of Ukraine - but Prime Minister Viktor Orban has repeatedly sided with Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.

The alleged spy network was established by Hungary’s military intelligence with the aim of collecting data about the location and number of air defence systems, as well as law enforcement officers and their vehicles, in the western Zakarpattia region, the SBU said.

Zakarpattia is the western region of Ukraine that shares an 84-mile (137km) border with Hungary.

The spies had also been gathering information on the public sentiment among local residents to predict their response in the event of a Hungarian incursion, according to the SBU.

  • einkorn@feddit.orgEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    Why should Orban leave the EU if he benefits from it on multiple fronts?

    1. There is the financial aspect: Not every type of funding can be stopped.
    2. The EU is an easy target to deflect blame to: Everything bad happening is due to regulations from Brussels, and everything good is of course your own success.
    3. The EU gives Hungary a basic standing in international politics: When Hungary received the Presidency of the Council of the European Union which rotates between member states, so it was bound to happen, Orban basically went on a road trip across the world posing as big boss of the EU without talking to any other member states.
    4. The EU internally gives Hungary a lot more power than it would have on its own: Technically, every member state is equal. Yes, in practice, some are more equal than others. For example, have you ever wondered why MEPs can get cash reimbursements for travel costs below 800 km without showing receipts?