Russia prepares to interfere in Hungary's April vote to secure Orbán's power

Several European national security sources reported that the Kremlin has instructed a team of political technologists to interfere in the April 2026 elections in Hungary in order to preserve Viktor Orbán's power.

Investigation showed that Sergey Kiriyenko, the first deputy chief of staff of the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, was appointed responsible for this operation.

His latest operation was Moldova, where Russians tried to influence the elections in favor of pro-Russian forces and against pro-European President Maia Sandu through vote buying, troll farms, and local activists.

Although the result was not fully achieved, the scheme, as sources note, has been preserved and now, together with the head of the Main Directorate for Strategic Partnership Vadim Titov, can be applied to Hungary.

Data on the Kremlin's attempts to support Orbán's campaign were passed to European partners, and EU and NATO structures are likely already monitoring the situation.

At the same time, interlocutors noted that in practice, the operation could be organized through the Russian embassy in Budapest. The plan involves deploying Russian social media manipulation specialists there who will have diplomatic or official passports. This, according to sources, should provide them with immunity from prosecution.

A team of three people, linked to the Russia's GRU [Main Intelligence Directorate - ed.], may be operating in Budapest, although it is not known for certain whether it has already started working.

The presence of military diplomats with possible ties to the GRU in Budapest, who maintain contacts with Orbán's propaganda structures, was reported earlier, the investigation noted. At the same time, pro-Russian media in Hungary are spreading the Kremlin's anti-Ukrainian narratives, creating a favorable environment for the operation.

According to one Central European source, Kiriyenko's group maintains active contact with electoral teams linked to the Orbán government, but the specific mechanisms of this cooperation are still being determined.

On March 3, according to the latest polls before the April elections in Hungary, the opposition Tisza party is leading Orbán's Fidesz, gaining 38% support among all voters against 32% for Fidesz.

On Feb. 16, at a press conference with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Orbán accused Ukraine of interfering in the Hungarian elections.

The 2026 parliamentary elections in Hungary will take place on April 12 to elect members of the new National Assembly convocation. Fidesz party leader Viktor Orbán has held the post of the country's prime minister since 2010.