Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats — First Such Move Since 2018

Foreign Minister Anita Orbán announced on September 8 that Hungary declared 10 Russian diplomatic staff persona non grata for engaging in activities 'unacceptable for diplomats under the Vienna Convention,' without disclosing specifics. It is Hungary's first public expulsion of Russian diplomats since 2018 and the first since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — a period in which Orbán's government expelled none while most EU states expelled dozens. Budapest said the move does not sever diplomatic relations and that necessary dialogue with Moscow will continue. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called it an 'extremely unfriendly step' driven by a 'Russophobic lobby in Budapest' and promised a response that would be 'harsh and painful.' The expulsion follows Hungary's June pledge to back a full year-long extension of EU sanctions on Russia, reinforcing Magyar's realignment away from Orbán's Moscow-friendly posture.