Ukraine Bans Hungarian Officials After Alleged Drones

Kyiv says several reconnaissance drones, likely of Hungarian origin, violated western Ukrainian airspace and may have been mapping industrial areas along the border, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to order urgent military reports. Ukraine’s armed forces said they compiled evidence and released a flight‑route image, which Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó denounced as fake and accused Zelensky of an anti‑Hungarian obsession. Budapest strongly denied the spying allegations and pushed back angrily; Kyiv then banned three senior Hungarian military officials in a reciprocal move. The episode deepens a long‑running rift in which Hungary has blocked aspects of Ukraine’s EU progress and been criticized for Moscow‑friendly energy and policy ties and resistance to tougher sanctions and arms support. Zelensky warned Hungary’s stance undermines European security and urged EU action, with the drone allegations and tit‑for‑tat expulsions further straining NATO and EU cohesion.