Russia launches covert information operation in Hungary to strengthen Prime Minister's position Viktor Orban on the eve of the parliamentary elections on 12 April. This was reported by the newspaper Financial Times.
The Kremlin is preparing an information operation before the elections in Hungary
According to journalists, the campaign is aimed at strengthening support for the current government and at the same time weakening the position of Orban's main political rival, opposition politician Peter Magyar.
Analysts note that such activity by the Kremlin could become one of the largest cases of Russia's interference in the political processes of a member state European Union.
Disinformation campaign on social media
The operation involves the mass distribution of political content on Hungarian social media.
The materials are created in Russia but distributed through local bloggers and influencers. This scheme allows the content to be presented as an internal Hungarian discussion.
The aim of the campaign is to create a favourable media backdrop for the Orban government before the election and to weaken opposition support.
The operation is led by the Putin administration
According to sources, the initiative was approved by the presidential administration Vladimir Putin.
The campaign is coordinated by Sergey Kiriyenko, is an influential deputy chief of staff in the Kremlin. He has previously been responsible for similar information operations in other countries.
Experts believe that Moscow is trying to use the elections in Hungary to strengthen its influence on EU policy.
Context: negotiations with Ukraine
Against the backdrop of these events, an official Hungarian delegation travelled to Kyiv, to discuss the resumption of oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
This energy route remains one of the key routes for Russian oil supplies to Central Europe.
Experts say that energy negotiations could become an important factor in political relations between Ukraine, Hungary and the European Union.
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