BREAKING: Ukrainian Security Service Exposes Hungarian Spy Network Targeting Zakarpattia

The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has announced the exposure of a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast. The spy network was reportedly collecting sensitive information related to the region’s military security and the local population’s potential reaction to the entry of Hungarian troops. According to the SSU, this is the first time such a network linked to Hungarian military intelligence has been uncovered in Ukraine.

⚡️Security Service of Ukraine has uncovered a Hungarian spy network that was spying against Ukraine.

Two agents were detained in the course of a special operation in Zakarpattia region:

◾️A 40-year-old ex-military who was recruited in 2021.
He was supposed to study the views of… pic.twitter.com/JsAzI3u6uC

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) May 9, 2025

In a special operation in Zakarpattia, two agents working for the Hungarian secret service were detained. The SSU revealed that both individuals were under the supervision of a Hungarian military intelligence officer whose identity has already been identified. The investigation established that the first agent, a 40-year-old former military officer from the Berehove district, was recruited in 2021. His assignment was to gather intelligence on the socio-political attitudes of locals, focusing on how they might respond to the arrival of a “peacekeeping contingent” involving Hungarian forces.

Further instructions for the agent included monitoring the region’s military presence, particularly the deployment of S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems. The SSU noted that in September 2024, he was activated by his handler and tasked with conducting reconnaissance on military positions and compiling data on equipment and vehicles in the oblast. Additionally, he was instructed to identify potential arms available on the black market and assess the condition and size of local law enforcement units. The suspect reportedly travelled to Hungary under the guise of seeking medical care for his father to report to his supervisor, receiving cash for his activities and a specialized phone for covert communication. The SSU also uncovered attempts to recruit other individuals to expand the intelligence network.

The second detained individual, a former servicewoman of the Ukrainian Defense Forces who retired in 2025, was allegedly tasked with monitoring air force assets and defense systems in her former unit. The SSU asserts that she was expected to pass along information regarding aircraft and helicopters in Zakarpattia.

The SSU counterintelligence managed to document the activities of both agents, collecting evidence through surveillance and searches of their residences. Both suspects have been charged with state treason under martial law, a crime that carries a potential life sentence with confiscation of property. The SSU emphasizes that the Hungarian spy network intended to broaden its scope to the frontline regions, aiming to collect data on Ukrainian military losses and current combat developments. The investigation is ongoing.