Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Russia is allegedly trying to fuel the tensions between Ukraine and Hungary.
Hungary’s leader, Viktor Orbán, is known for looking towards Russia rather than the European Union, and he has repeatedly blocked new sanctions against Russia.
At the moment, he is also threatening to block a vital billion-euro loan for Ukraine over a dispute about a pipeline transporting Russian oil.
According to Ukraine, the pipeline was damaged in a Russian attack, but Hungary claims the pipeline is functional and that Ukraine is using the transport of Russian oil to Hungary as political pressure.
Yes, the diplomatic relationship between Hungary and Ukraine is not the best at the moment, and now Russia seems to be trying to drive the two Eastern European nations further apart:
By posing as Ukrainian law enforcement targeting Hungarians.
Intercepted phone calls
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on March 18 in a post on Telegram that Russia had launched a coordinated hybrid operation targeting ethnic Hungarians in Zakarpattia Oblast.
Citing intercepted phone calls, the SBU says the callers pose as Ukrainian officials or nationalist figures and orders residents to leave the country and issued threats of violence.
Investigators say the calls originated from Russia but used spoofed Ukrainian numbers to appear credible.
The reports have not been independently verified.
Destabilization concerns
The SBU said the operation aims at “destabilizing the situation in Zakarpattia Oblast and escalating tensions between Ukraine and Hungary.”
Authorities urged citizens “not to succumb to such provocations” while countermeasures are underway.
Kyiv has repeatedly warned of Russian hybrid tactics designed to inflame divisions during its ongoing war with Moscow.
Zakarpattia, bordering several EU countries, is home to an estimated 70,000 to 80,000 ethnic Hungarians.
Previous warning of false-flag operations
If the reports turn out to be true, it could be another case of Russian “false-flag” operations aimed at destabilizing foreign nations.
False-flag operations involve posing as another nation, e.g., a hostile nation, to stage a war crime, catastrophe, or massacre, and then placing the blame on that nation.
In February, the Institute for the Study of War warned that Russia could stage a false-flag operation to cause a nuclear incident in order to blame Ukraine and undermine Western support for Kyiv.
Sources: Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), government statements, The Kyiv Independent, Institute for the Study of War
