Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats Over ‘Unacceptable’ Activities

By Mintesinot Nigussie  |  September 9, 2026

Hungary has ordered 10 members of the Russian diplomatic mission to leave the country after authorities concluded that they had engaged in activities incompatible with diplomatic status under the Vienna Convention, Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said.

Orbán said on Tuesday that she had instructed a senior official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to inform the Russian ambassador in Budapest of the decision.

“According to the assessment of the Hungarian authorities, 10 members of the Russian mission had engaged in activities in Hungary that are unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention,” Orbán said in a statement posted on X.

The Hungarian government did not specify what activities the 10 diplomats were accused of carrying out. Such expulsions are typically linked to suspected intelligence or other activities considered incompatible with diplomatic duties, although Budapest has not publicly detailed the allegations in this case.

Orbán said the decision was intended to protect Hungary’s “security and sovereignty”, while stressing that it did not amount to a break in diplomatic relations with Russia.

“Hungary intends to continue the necessary dialogue, based on mutual respect and adherence to the rules,” she said.

The move marks a notable shift in Budapest’s approach to Moscow under Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose government has sought to reposition Hungary closer to the European Union and NATO after the 16-year tenure of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Under the previous government, Hungary maintained unusually close relations with Russia within the EU, including continued reliance on Russian energy and opposition to some EU measures targeting Moscow following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia has condemned Hungary’s decision. Russian Ambassador to Hungary Evgeny Stanislavov called the expulsions an “unprecedented and unjustified escalation” and said Moscow would respond.

The European Commission has backed Hungary’s right to take action against foreign diplomatic personnel, with the expulsions coming amid wider European concerns over alleged Russian intelligence, espionage and sabotage activities.

For Orbán, the decision adds a significant security dimension to the foreign-policy shift pursued by Magyar’s government. The foreign minister has previously argued for maintaining relations with Russia while reducing Hungary’s dependence on Moscow, particularly in the energy sector.

The expulsions are Hungary’s first publicly announced action of this kind against Russian diplomats since 2018, according to Reuters.

Source: FSX Business News