--- title: "Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats: Moscow Threatens a 'Harsh and Painful' Response" description: "On 8 September Hungary expelled 10 staff members of the Russian embassy, citing a violation of the Vienna Convention. Moscow threatened a 'harsh and painful' response, while Budapest assured that diplomatic relations would not be severed." date: 2026-09-08T12:46:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/hungary-expels-10-russian-diplomats-moscow-threatens-harsh-response tags: [hungary, russia, diplomats, expulsion, viena-convention, zakharova, peter-magyar, tizza-party, ukraine-war, europe-security] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats: Moscow Threatens a 'Harsh and Painful' Response ![Hungarian politician at a TISZA party podium with Hungarian and EU flags in the backdrop of the decision to expel Russian diplomats](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/08/vengriya-vysylaet-10-rossiyskikh-diplomatov-moskva-priugrozila-otvetom/vengriya-vysylaet-10-rossiyskikh-diplomatov-moskva-priugrozila-otvetom-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Hungary expelled 10 staff members of the Russian embassy, citing impermissible activity under the Vienna Convention - Budapest stated that a severance of diplomatic relations with Russia is not planned - Maria Zakharova threatened a 'harsh and painful' response to the expulsion - The decision fits within the new foreign-policy course of Prime Minister PΓ©ter Magyar's government, which condemned Russia's war against Ukraine Hungary has decided to expel ten staff members of the Russian embassy in Budapest. This was announced on 8 September 2026 in a Facebook post by Anita OrbΓ‘n, the official spokesperson for the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. According to her, at her instruction the relevant senior official at the Hungarian foreign ministry informed the Russian ambassador in Budapest of the decision concerning ten representatives of the Russian side. In this way, within a single day Hungary stripped accreditation from a record number of Russian diplomatic personnel for the bilateral relationship. ### Justification: Violation of the Vienna Convention The Hungarian side explained the decision by stating that, in the assessment of national authorities, the aforementioned ten staff members of the Russian mission "carried out activity in Hungary that, under the Vienna Convention, is not permissible for diplomats." Budapest did not publicly disclose specific episodes or the nature of the alleged violations, limiting itself to a reference to the norms of international diplomatic law. The official statement emphasised that the step was taken "in order to protect the security and sovereignty of the country." Hungary also cited the need to comply with the established rules of diplomatic representation. ### Severance of Relations Not Foreseen In Budapest it was specifically noted that the expulsion of ten Russian representatives does not mean a severance of diplomatic relations between the two states. "Hungary intends to continue maintaining the necessary dialogue on the principles of mutual respect and compliance with the rules," stated Anita OrbΓ‘n. Thus, formally the channels of diplomatic communication between Moscow and Budapest remain intact, although their scope and nature will likely be reconsidered in light of the reduction of the Russian diplomatic corps. ### Moscow's Reaction: A 'Harsh and Painful' Response The Russian side reacted promptly to Budapest's decision. The official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Moscow would respond to the expulsion of ten Russian diplomats. "The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful," quoted her words the Ukrainian edition of RBC. Specific retaliatory measures were not named in Zakharova's statement, however the rhetoric indicates Moscow's intention to mirror or proportionally limit the presence of Hungarian diplomats on its territory or to apply other pressure measures. ### Political Context: The New Course of the Magyar Government The expulsion decision fits within a broader review of Hungarian foreign policy. Earlier, the government of Prime Minister PΓ©ter Magyar officially stated that Russia poses a threat not only to Hungary but to the security of Europe as a whole and to the international order. Budapest also condemned the Russian military operation against Ukraine, affirmed its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Kyiv, and recognised Ukraine's right to self-defence. These statements mark a sharp turn from the previous Hungarian line, which for several years had blocked a number of EU decisions against Moscow. In the photo accompanying the publication, Anita OrbΓ‘n is speaking at an event of the TISZA party under the slogan "MΕ±kΓΆdΕ‘ MagyarorszΓ‘g" ("A Working Hungary"), indicating the party affiliation and the political framework within which the foreign-policy decision is being made. ### Contradictory Data No significant discrepancies were found in the provided sources on the key facts β€” the number of expelled diplomats (ten), the justification (the Vienna Convention), Moscow's reaction, and Budapest's position on maintaining diplomatic relations. All four sources (RBC-Ukraine, 24tv, RFI, Euronews) agree on the main details. The only point that remains unclear is the specific list of actions that Hungarian authorities classified as impermissible, since none of the sources provides a detailed list of incidents. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats at Once: Moscow Already Promises Revenge](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ugorshchina-visilae-odrazu-10-diplomativ-1788871368.html) - ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ высылку 10 Π΄ΠΈΠΏΠ»ΠΎΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ΠΎΠ², Ρ†ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚Ρƒ ΠžΡ€Π±Π°Π½ ΠΎ ВСнской ΠΊΠΎΠ½Π²Π΅Π½Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ, заявлСниС Π—Π°Ρ…Π°Ρ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΉ ΠΎ «ТСстком ΠΈ Π±ΠΎΠ»Π΅Π·Π½Π΅Π½Π½ΠΎΠΌΒ» ΠΎΡ‚Π²Π΅Ρ‚Π΅, отсутствиС Ρ€Π°Π·Ρ€Ρ‹Π²Π° Π΄ΠΈΠΏΠΎΡ‚Π½ΠΎΡˆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ. - [Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats: Russia Threatens a 'Harsh Response'](https://24tv.ua/ru/rossijskie-diplomaty-v-vengrii-reakcija-rossii-na-vysylku_n3138174) - Π‘ΠΎΠ²ΠΏΠ°Π΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ ΠΏΠΎ количСству высланных, обоснованию ΠΈ Ρ€Π΅Π°ΠΊΡ†ΠΈΠΈ ΠœΠΎΡΠΊΠ²Ρ‹. ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ…Ρ€ΠΎΠ½ΠΎΠ»ΠΎΠ³ΠΈΡŽ 8 сСнтября 2026 Π³. - [Hungary Expels 10 Staff Members of the Russian Mission for 'Impermissible Activity'](https://www.rfi.fr/ru/%D0%B5%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%BF%D0%B0/20260908-%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%8F-%D0%B2%D1%8B%D1%81%D1%8B%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B5%D1%82-10-%D1%81%D0%BE%D1%82%D1%80%D1%83%D0%B4%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%BE-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0-%D0%B7%D0%B0-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BC%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%83%D1%8E-%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%8F%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%82%D1%8C) - НСзависимый СвропСйский источник. ΠŸΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π°Π΅Ρ‚ Ρ„ΠΎΡ€ΠΌΡƒΠ»ΠΈΡ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΊΡƒ «нСприСмлСмая Π΄Π΅ΡΡ‚Π΅Π»ΡŒΠ½ΠΎΡΡ‚ΡŒΒ» ΠΈ ссылку Π½Π° Π’Π΅Π½ΡΠΊΡƒΡŽ ΠΊΠΎΠ½Π²Π΅Π½Ρ†ΠΈΡŽ. Π”Π°Ρ‚Π° Π² URL: 20260908. - [Hungary Expels 10 Russian Diplomats for 'Impermissible Activity'](https://ru.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/09/08/ru-hungary-expels-10-russian-diplomats-for-unacceptable-activities) - Π•Ρ‰Ρ‘ ΠΎΠ΄ΠΈΠ½ нСзависимый СвропСйский источник, ΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½ΠΎΡΡ‚ΡŒΡŽ ΡΠΎΠ³Π»Π°ΡΡƒΡŽΡ‰ΠΈΠΉΡΡ ΠΏΠΎ Ρ„Π°ΠΊΡ‚Π°ΠΌ. Π”Π°Ρ‚Π° Π² URL: 2026/09/08. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: How many Russian diplomats did Hungary expel and why? **A:** Hungary expelled 10 staff members of the Russian embassy. According to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, these individuals carried out activity that is not permissible for diplomats under the Vienna Convention. Specific episodes were not disclosed publicly. ### Q: Did Hungary sever diplomatic relations with Russia? **A:** No. Budapest explicitly stated that the expulsion does not mean a severance of diplomatic relations. Hungary intends to continue the dialogue on the principles of mutual respect. ### Q: How did Russia react to the expulsion? **A:** The official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated that Moscow would respond to the expulsion and described the response as 'harsh and painful,' addressing the 'Russophobic lobby in Budapest.' Specific measures were not named. ### Q: What political context lies behind this decision? **A:** The decision fits within the new foreign-policy course of Prime Minister PΓ©ter Magyar's government, which earlier stated that Russia threatens Europe's security, condemned the war against Ukraine, and recognised Kyiv's right to self-defence.