Hungary to continue blocking Ukraine's EU accession over espionage scandals
Hungary currently has no intention of approving the opening of negotiation clusters in Ukraine's EU accession talks due to tense bilateral political relations.
Source: Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Bóka, speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on 27 May, accused Ukraine of conducting espionage activities on Hungarian territory.
"At this moment, Ukraine is conducting numerous informational and intelligence operations in Hungary aimed at influencing democratic decision-making processes. In such a political context, it is extremely difficult to conduct constructive negotiations," he said.
Background:
On 20 May, Hungarian intelligence services claimed to have uncovered two Ukrainian "spies": Roland Tseber and István Holló.
A Hungarian court stated there were grounds to suspect that Holló, acting on behalf of Ukrainian military intelligence, had been conducting activities in Hungary which, if proven, would constitute the crime of espionage.
Tensions in Ukraine-Hungary relations escalated after Ukraine's Security Service announced on the morning of 9 May that it had uncovered a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Zakarpattia Oblast and conducting espionage.
Following this, Budapest expelled two Ukrainian diplomats, accusing them of spying.
Ukraine responded by expelling two Hungarian diplomats.
Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Ukrainians among foreign nationals in US targeted for transfer to Guantanamo, WP reports
The Trump administration is preparing to transfer thousands of undocumented foreign nationals, including Ukrainian citizens, to the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, the Washington Post reported on June 10, citing undisclosed U.S. official sources. The infamous prison facility was established by the Bush administration in 2002 to hold suspected terrorists amid the War on Terror. Its operations attracted broad criticism for reports of torture, abuse, and for the facility's position outside of normal legal frameworks. The detainees reportedly include individuals from countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Ukraine. The move is part of a broader plan to free up capacity at overcrowded domestic facilities. U.S. officials told the Washington Post that there were no plans to notify the governments of these citizens before their transfer to the facility. Medical screenings for 9,000 individuals are reportedly underway to assess whether they are physically fit for transfer. Internal documents reviewed by the Washington Post suggest the facility is currently underutilized and could accommodate more detainees. The Homeland Security Department and the White House declined to comment for the Washington Post on the reporting, which is based on information from multiple anonymous officials and internal documents. A defense official maintained that current operations at the base remain "unchanged" and refused to speculate on "future missions." Some home countries of the targeted detainees have previously expressed willingness to repatriate their nationals, but have been deemed too slow by U.S. immigration authorities. The White House has not confirmed the number of Ukrainians affected, and Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has yet to comment. The plan to revive Guantanamo as a holding site for mass immigration enforcement is part of President Donald Trump's broader pledge to ramp up deportations and arrests, with a goal of at least 3,000 arrests daily, according to White House officials. Previously, the media reported that the Trump administration planned to revoke the temporary legal status of 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled Russia's invasion. According to a March 6 article by Reuters, the administration aims to cancel refugees' immigration status granted under the Biden-era Uniting for Ukraine program, potentially exposing them to deportation. Although the White House denied the claim, internal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) documents suggest preparations for fast-tracked removals are underway. Read also: Ukrainian boxer Usyk invites Trump to his home to see Russia's war firsthand, BBC reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russian airstrikes kill 3 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy warns of evolving drone tech
Russian drone strikes and bombs killed at least three people in the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv overnight, regional officials there said, even though Moscow's latest drone and missile barrage elsewhere was significantly smaller than preceding nights. The Kharkiv Regional Military Administration said in a post to Telegram that another 60 people were injured by Russian attacks overnight, which included the use of Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones, first-person view commercial-style drones and KAB guided bombs. Kharkiv -- Ukraine's second largest city with a pre-war population of around 1.4 million -- sits just 20 miles from the Russian border. That proximity has seen the city bombarded throughout Russia's full-scale invasion. Kharkiv has also faced intense recent attacks as Moscow expanded its drone and missile campaign, plus as Russian forces reportedly mass along the nearby border and threaten new incursions. Elsewhere on Tuesday night, at least five people were injured by Russian shelling in the southern Kherson region, local officials said in a post to Telegram. One person was also killed and another injured by Russian shelling in the eastern Donetsk region, officials said. Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 85 drones and one missile into the country overnight, of which 49 drones were shot down or otherwise neutralized. Impacts were recorded in 14 locations, with drone debris falling in two other locations, the air force said. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a Tuesday night post to Telegram that he had spoken with Defense Minister Rustem Umerov about "our efforts to counter drones, protect against missiles and reinforce our air defense." The meeting came after Monday night's massive Russian attack on cities including Kyiv. "The Russians have once again used ballistic missiles from North Korea," Zelenskyy said of Monday night's attacks. "We are also tracking evidence that Russian-Iranian drone technologies have spread to North Korea. This is extremely dangerous both for Europe and for East and Southeast Asia." MORE: Zelenskyy demands 'action from America' after latest Russian drone, missile attack "The longer this war continues on our territory, the more warfare technologies evolve and the greater the threat will be to everyone," Zelenskyy added. "This must be addressed now -- not when thousands of upgraded Shahed drones and ballistic missiles begin to threaten Seoul and Tokyo." Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down 33 Ukrainian drones overnight into Wednesday morning. In Russia's Tambov region -- around 260 miles southeast of Moscow and 230 miles from the closest Ukrainian-controlled territory -- acting governor Evgeny Pervyshov said on Telegram that a fire broke out in the town of Kotovsk due to falling drone debris. "The situation is under control," Pervyshov wrote. But Andriy Kovalenko, the head of the Counter-Disinformation Center operating as part of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, said in a Telegram post that an explosives plant in the area was hit by drones. Kovalenko claimed that the Tambov gunpowder plant had been forced to suspend operations by the strike. "It produces gunpowder used for various types of small arms, artillery and rocket systems," he said of the facility. "The enterprise is one of the main suppliers of explosives for the Russian army," Kovalenko added. "With the beginning of a full-scale war in Ukraine, production at the plant has increased significantly." The governor of Russia's western Belgorod region said six people were also injured by a Ukrainian drone strike on a factory in the town of Shebekino. All were hospitalized, the governor said in a post to Telegram. Russian airstrikes kill 3 in Ukraine as Zelenskyy warns of evolving drone tech originally appeared on
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Russians hit Kharkiv with Molniya drone
Russian forces have used a Molniya-type drone to strike the Shevchenkivskyi district of the city of Kharkiv. Source: Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov Quote: "We've had a strike by a Molniya-type UAV in the Shevchenkivskyi district." Details: The mayor noted that information about the aftermath of the strike is still being gathered. Background: On the night of 10-11 June, Russian forces attacked Kharkiv with 17 Shahed-type strike drones. The large-scale attack on the Slobidskyi and Osnovianskyi districts killed two people and injured 60 others, including nine children. Residential buildings, trolleybuses, playgrounds and companies were damaged. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
