Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has alleged that reconnaissance drones violating Ukraine’s airspace may have entered from Hungary to survey industrial capacity near the western border. The claim, based on a preliminary military assessment, sparked a sharp response from Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who mocked Zelenskiy on X, saying the Ukrainian leader was “losing his mind” due to an “anti-Hungarian obsession.”
Zelenskiy did not specify when the drone sightings occurred but emphasized that he had ordered all incidents to be verified and reported urgently. In his nightly video address, he referred to “very strange incidents” along the Hungarian border, instructing the military to conduct thorough checks and to be ready to respond if drones appear again. Ukraine’s General Staff also posted photos online, showing drone-like objects it described as airspace violations. Ukrainian forces reportedly deployed their own drones to patrol the affected areas.
The accusations come amid historically tense relations between Kyiv and Budapest, despite Hungary’s membership in the European Union and NATO. Since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, many Ukrainian industries relocated westward, making the region strategically important. Hungary, however, has taken a different stance from many of its Western allies, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban maintaining warmer ties with Moscow and expressing skepticism about Western military aid to Ukraine.
The diplomatic rift widened on Friday when Ukraine imposed entry bans on three senior Hungarian military officials in response to Hungary’s earlier restrictions against Ukrainian military representatives. The two countries have also repeatedly clashed over the rights of Ukraine’s Hungarian minority, numbering about 150,000 in the Transcarpathia region, particularly regarding language policies.
These latest accusations highlight ongoing political tensions between Ukraine and Hungary, potentially straining relations within NATO and the EU, as the war in Ukraine continues.