Vladimir Putin has instructed a group of political technologists and representatives of Russian military intelligence to prepare an operation to influence the parliamentary elections in Hungary, which are due to take place in April. The aim of this activity, according to a journalistic investigation and European security services, is to promote the victory of the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
According to investigators, the curator of this direction was identified as the first deputy head of Putin’s administration, Sergei Kiriyenko. He has previously coordinated similar information operations abroad.
In particular, Kiriyenko is associated with a campaign to interfere in the presidential elections in Moldova in 2024. At that time, according to investigators, Russia used vote-buying networks, troll farms, and local activists to shape negative public opinion about pro-Western President Maia Sandu.
A similar operation is allegedly being prepared by Kiriyenko in Hungary together with the head of the Main Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation, Vadim Titov. According to the plan, Russian specialists in manipulation of social networks may be placed in the Russian embassy in Budapest. It is reported that three of these specialists have already received service and diplomatic passports, which provide them with a certain level of diplomatic immunity.
Investigators also found that Kiriyenko maintains contacts with individual organizers of the election campaign of Orban’s Fidesz party.
Journalists note that the anti-Ukrainian rhetoric of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban creates favorable conditions for the spread of Russian disinformation campaigns, since such information operations work most effectively where the media environment is already partially open to such narratives.
