Influence operation revealed in Hungary – Russian agents in Budapest

Jacob Hallerström

Updated 14.21 | Published 12.23

           

           Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orbán. Photo: Alexander Nemenov / AP

In a month, Hungary will hold elections.

Now, an influence operation with Russian agents on site in Budapest has been revealed.

- According to the information we have received, they will start the operation on Thursday, says opposition leader Péter Magyar in a statement.

Several Hungarian and international media outlets are reporting today about an influence operation ahead of the Hungarian elections – controlled from the Kremlin in Moscow. 

In 36 days, the country will go to parliamentary elections and Viktor Orbán's government party Fidesz is losing in several opinion polls.

An influence operation is now said to have been launched to ensure that Viktor Orbán is re-elected, reports the Financial Times, among others.

Russian agents on site in Budapest

The information comes from several European security sources that the Hungarian hacking network VSquare has spoken to.

According to the sources, Russian agents and disinformation specialists are embedded in the Russian embassy in Budapest. The operation is reportedly being directed by one of Putin's chiefs of staff, Sergei Kiriyenko, who has previously been involved in similar influence campaigns abroad – most recently ahead of the presidential election in Moldova last year.

The opposition reacts

The leader of the opposition party Tisza, Péter Magyar, says that his staff has taken note of the information. He writes on the X platform that the campaign is expected to start appearing on social media later this week.

Magyar has previously warned of several forms of smear attempts ahead of the election.

In February, rumors spread that a sex video would be released that Magyar said was "recorded with spy equipment and possibly faked, in which my then-girlfriend and I are seen having intimate intercourse".

So far, no such video has been published or distributed.

            

            Péter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party. Photo: Robert Hegedus / AP

 

Om 36 dagar går landet till parlamentsval och Viktor Orbáns regeringsparti Fidesz ligger under i flera opinionsundersökningar.

En påverkansoperation uppges nu vara satt i verket för att säkra att Viktor Orbán återigen blir omvald, rapporterar bland andra Financial Times.