Vladimir Putin instructed Russian intelligence services to intervene in the elections in Hungary to support Viktor Orbán, using manipulation tactics.

The Russian leader Vladimir Putin has given instructions to intervene in the parliamentary elections in Hungary in April, with the aim of ensuring the victory of the current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. According to investigations conducted by the VSquare project, Putin has delegated the responsibilities of this plan to his first deputy, Sergei Kiriienko, known for his involvement in Russian interference in the elections in Moldova.

The operation in Hungary would include sending experts in social media manipulation to the Russian Embassy in Budapest, and three individuals have already obtained diplomatic passports to facilitate these activities. Kiriienko has ties to the organizers of Orbán's Fidesz party's electoral campaign, and his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric could support Russian disinformation campaigns. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed hope that Orbán's party will lose the elections, which could improve relations between Ukraine and Hungary.