Hungarian internet providers have blocked access to several leading Ukrainian news portals. The move came after Ukraine, in mid-September, banned several foreign outlets, including Hungary’s “Origo” and “Demokrata”, arguing that they regularly disseminate Russian propaganda.
By Tuesday morning, Hungarian users reported restrictions on several Ukrainian sites, though the lists varied between providers. Fixed-line operators began shutting down access on Monday evening, with mobile providers joining in the following morning.
The decision was announced by Gergely Gulyás, Chief of Staff of the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, who argued that Hungary was simply responding to Kyiv’s “unfounded attack” on Hungarian outlets. In a statement on Facebook, Gulyás dismissed the popularity of Ukrainian news sites in Hungary but insisted that “a sovereign country must give a proportionate response.” He listed over a dozen affected portals: tsn.ua, oboz.ua, anons-zak.com.ua, ungvar.uz.ua, zakarpattya.net.ua, pravda.com.ua, hromadske.ua, nv.ua, lb.ua, insiderinfo.com.ua, uaonline.com.ua, eurointegration.com.ua.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry strongly criticised the Hungarian ban, saying it was disproportionate, compared to Kyiv’s earlier actions. While Ukraine had targeted Hungarian outlets for allegedly promoting Russian disinformation, Budapest, it argued, was instead cutting its citizens off from “fact-based journalism.”
Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi stressed that Hungary’s decision served political purposes rather than protecting the public sphere: “The difference is that Ukraine blocks Russian propaganda, while Orban’s government blocks Hungarians’ access to fact-based journalism. But for them, the further from the truth, the better.”
The episode adds a new layer of tension to already strained relations between the two neighbours. Hungary, under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has maintained a pro-Russia stance, delaying EU sanctions, blocking military aid to Ukraine, and criticizing Kyiv’s policies, notably over minority rights for the Hungarian community in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. Disputes over language laws, which Ukraine implemented to promote its national language but which Hungary claims discriminate against its minority, have fueled bilateral friction, with Budapest accusing Kyiv of undermining Hungarian cultural identity. And more importantly, Budapest is currently blocking the opening of EU acession talks with Ukraine.