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Russia’s SVR weighed staged assassination of Viktor Orban, says Washington Post

Western intelligence services are signalling they are fully aware of Russian plans to influence Hungary's upcoming general election.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November 2025.

March 23, 2026

Western intelligence services are signalling that they are fully aware of Russian plans to influence Hungary's upcoming general election, sources told leftist Nepszava in connection with the Washington Post's March 21 report of Russian interference in the campaign.

The US daily ran a report by Russia expert Catherine Belton claiming that Russia’s foreign intelligence service (SVR) considered staging an assassination attempt against Prime Minister Viktor Orban to tilt the election in his favour.

The plan, codenamed "Gamechanger", argued that such an incident could "fundamentally transform the entire paradigm of the election campaign" by shifting the campaign narrative to security and political stability, which is already at the centre of the Fidesz campaign. The report also suggested depicting opposition leader Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party as Brussels-backed warmongers.

According to investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi of Vsquare, the document was acquired by a European intelligence service and reviewed by Belton, former Moscow correspondent for the Financial Times and author of the book Putin’s People.

The newspaper noted that it remains uncertain whether the SVR’s proposal ever reached the Russian government, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed it as disinformation, and the SVR declined to comment. The Russian embassy also denied any interference in Hungary’s election campaign, while Orban’s press office did not respond to requests for comment.

The documents indicate that Russia considered additional methods of influence, including shaping media campaign messaging so that Orban is associated with peace and stability, while portraying his opponent and the Tisza Party as pro-war and aligned with Brussels. They also outline potential smear campaigns against opposition figures, including the use of AI-generated videos and fabricated documents.

According to investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi, the Washington Post article confirms his earlier report that operatives linked to Russian military intelligence have recently arrived in Hungary ahead of the election. The team is overseen by Sergey Kiriyenko, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin who oversees Russia’s domestic and international political influence operations.

On March 22, Panyi wrote that the Russian-linked "Matrjoska" bot network has already begun spreading fake videos about an alleged assassination attempt and coup against Orban. The disinformation includes a widely viewed video falsely presented as Deutsche Welle footage, claiming Ukrainian refugees died while attempting to attack Orban. Other clips allege, without evidence, that Ukrainian officials incited Hungarians to armed revolt. Panyi said the campaign was analysed by the Bot Blocker project and shared by Agentstvo, noting that coup-related narratives represent a new element in such operations.

Panyi cited a Western security official as saying that "Orban was one of Russia’s best agents. It’s hard to imagine that the Russians wouldn’t be on standby to help if things were to take a turn for the worse ... I know these reports are very harsh, and I wouldn’t be surprised if even more serious things come to light about the Russians’ plans in the period leading up to the election."

Sources speaking to Nepszava write that Western intelligence appears to be closely monitoring Russian influence operations in Hungary. The situation is reminiscent of intelligence leaks before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, when the CIA disclosed operational reports to signal its awareness of Russian troop buildups.

Belton, in the story, also named Tigran Levonovich Garibian, a counsellor at the Russian embassy in Budapest and fluent in Hungarian, is a key figure in exerting Russian influence, who is reportedly meeting regularly with pro-government journalists to issue instructions.

Garibian served as interpreter for Putin at the most recent Moscow meeting with Orbán. Hungarian national security sources have long monitored his activities and his reported direction of local journalists. For years, Hungarian state media and pro-government outlets have routinely published articles reflecting Russian imperial narratives.

Experts speaking to Nepszava said a pact of such a staged assassination could certainly mobilise Orban’s supporters, but its overall impact would be unpredictable as Magyar and other experts had already flagged these concerns.

In January, the Tisza Party leader said he had received information suggesting that the governing side might attempt to stir panic during the campaign through incidents such as "suicide bombings", staged attacks, or drone-related provocations.

In its analysis, the think-tank Political Capital concluded that Russia’s interference in Hungary’s 2026 elections likely began some time ago, arguing that the key question is not whether the Kremlin is involved, but how effective its efforts will be.

The Washington Post also unveiled allegations against Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, saying that Hungary’s chief diplomat allegedly briefed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on EU Council discussions for years.

An unnamed security source told the newspaper that "for years, every single EU meeting has essentially had Moscow at the table."

"The news that Orban’s people inform Moscow about EU Council meetings in every detail shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. We’ve had our suspicions about that for a long time. That’s one reason why I take the floor only when strictly necessary and say just as much as necessary," Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk tweeted on X.

The Washington Post story was published just before the fifth CPAC Hungary, a gathering of right-wing conservative, radical figures. In his keynote speech, Orban accused the EU of political interference, "payrolling federalist forces", while "betraying the Treaties". He said a Fidesz victory in the election would not only protect Hungary, but "break down the progressive gates of Brussels."

The event largely served as a showcase of international backing for Orban, with speakers framing his leadership as crucial to Hungary and the broader conservative cause.

In his video message, US President Donald Trump gave his full endorsement. "I endorsed him last time. He won. And he did a fantastic job for his country, especially at the borders, with all of the crime and all of the problems that other countries have," he said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, in his video address, said Orban "means stability, security, and defence," and thanked the prime minister for standing with Israel.

After a busy weekend, Hungary’s leader will host the gathering of the Patriots for Europe on March 23, expected to feature Matteo Salvini and Marine Le Pen. Polish President Karol Nawrocki is expected to pay a brief visit to Budapest to celebrate Polish–Hungarian Friendship Day with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok.