Hungarian Intelligence Officer Zoltan Andre Identified by Ukraine's SBU for Recruiting Spies in Zakarpattia

Hungarian Intelligence Agents Detained in Zakarpattia

According to Главком: Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has identified Zoltan Andre, a career officer of Hungarian military intelligence, as the handler of an espionage network uncovered in the Zakarpattia region in the spring of 2025. This network was tasked with gathering intelligence on the region's military defenses and attempting to locate Ukrainian air defense positions. This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges Ukraine faces from foreign intelligence operations within its borders.

In spring 2025, the SBU detained two members of a spy cell in Zakarpattia. The handler, Zoltan Andre, previously served in Georgia from 2016 to 2020, conducting intelligence activities under the cover of a Hungarian diplomatic mission. Since 2021, Andre has been actively engaged in intelligence and subversive activities against Ukraine. He personally recruited a former soldier from the Berehove district and, in September 2024, activated an agent with instructions to spy in Zakarpattia.

Methods Used by the Agents

The agent activated by Andre was directed to scout the deployment locations of Ukraine's Defense Forces and identify combat positions of Ukrainian air defense systems. A key part of his mission was to find potential recruits for Hungarian military intelligence among former and active military personnel and law enforcement officers. Andre exploited the process at Hungarian diplomatic offices in Zakarpattia, where local residents apply for Hungarian citizenship. He promised recruits money and preferential treatment from Hungary.

Andre conducted recruitment pitches and agent meetings in his personal car, using an operational alias. Among those recruited was a former contract service member of a Ukrainian Armed Forces combat brigade, who was detained by the SBU along with another agent. Andre also attempted to recruit another Ukrainian soldier by promising regular supplies of narcotics. In May 2025, the SBU made a historic first for Ukraine by detaining agents of Hungarian military intelligence who were collecting information on Zakarpattia's military security and seeking vulnerabilities in its ground and air defenses.

The SBU urges citizens to remain vigilant. If you are approached with suspicious offers, observe suspicious items or individuals, or obtain information about the activities of Russian special services, please report it to the SBU via the 'Burn the FSB Agent' chatbot. Tel.: 0 800 501 482. Email: [email protected].

This case demonstrates the activity of foreign intelligence services in the region, which can threaten Ukraine's national security. The detention of Hungarian agents underscores the critical importance of counterintelligence work and public vigilance in detecting suspicious activities.

As foreign intelligence operations continue to pose significant risks to Ukraine's national security, a recent case involving a Russian agent apprehended in the Donetsk region underscores the urgency of addressing these threats. The SBU's ongoing efforts to dismantle espionage networks reveal a broader pattern of coordinated foreign interference aimed at destabilizing Ukraine.