Diplomatic expulsions in Budapest

Hungary ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the country on 8 September 2026, citing conduct incompatible with the 1961 Vienna Convention. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Orban announced the measure on social media, confirming that ministry officials notified the Russian mission that 10 staff members had engaged in unacceptable activities. The government stated that the expulsions were executed to safeguard national security and territorial sovereignty without severing formal diplomatic relations with Moscow. Anita Orban added that Budapest intends to keep communication channels open, provided bilateral dialogue is conducted on the basis of mutual respect and adherence to international rules.

“This decision protects Hungary's security and sovereignty.”

Policy pivot under the Magyar administration

The expulsions reverse the foreign policy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whose 16-year tenure ended after his defeat by Prime Minister Peter Magyar and the Tisza party in April 2026. Under the previous administration, Budapest maintained close ties with Moscow, keeping about 50 accredited Russian diplomats in the capital after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and hosting the Russian-led International Investment Bank until United States sanctions pressure forced its closure in 2023. Viktor Orban's government previously targeted domestic critics of Russian influence, opening an espionage case that was later dropped against investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi after he reported on covert intelligence operations at the Russian embassy. In August 2026, Magyar issued new foreign policy guidelines stating that Russian military conduct in Ukraine threatens European security and endangers ethnic Hungarians living across the border.

Transcarpathia strikes and diplomatic precedent

Tuesday's decision is the first officially announced expulsion of Russian diplomatic personnel by Hungary since March 2018, when Budapest expelled a single diplomat in coordinated Western action over the Sergei Skripal poisoning in the United Kingdom. Hungarian investigative outlet VSquare reported in May 2026 that authorities had discreetly expelled a suspected intelligence officer and his wife earlier that month. Also in May, Anita Orban summoned Russian Ambassador Evgeny Stanislavov to protest Russian drone strikes against the Transcarpathia region in western Ukraine, where a sizable Hungarian minority resides. That summons marked the first time Hungarian officials formally called in the Russian ambassador to protest Russian military attacks since February 2022.

International reactions and Russian threats

Russian authorities condemned the Hungarian decision and pledged retaliatory countermeasures against Budapest. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the TASS news agency that Moscow would formulate a direct response.

“The response to the Russophobic lobby will be harsh and painful.”

In Brussels, European Union spokesperson Christian Wigand described the expulsions as a legitimate response to ongoing Russian hybrid campaigns across Europe. The announcement coincided with security developments elsewhere on NATO's eastern flank, where Romanian authorities detained a Russian citizen in connection with a planned sabotage plot.

“The European Union will continue to coordinate closely with Hungary and the other member states, and remains resolved to protect the interests and rights of EU citizens.”