Secret organisation recruits volunteers in Hungary to fight for Russia in Ukraine

Since July, several Russian social media sites have published posts specifically targeting Hungarians, seeking Hungarian volunteers to fight alongside the Russians in Ukraine. One of the most prominent sites on the social media platform is called the Legion of Saint Stephen.

In a lengthy analysis by the Hungarian fact-checking website Lakmusz.hu, it is explained how the Legion operates and the extent of Russian influence in Hungary. 

Dear friends, we are once again recruiting volunteers (…) Combat experience is welcome but not necessary, we will teach you everything you need to know (…) We accept applications from everyone, but Hungarian citizens (regardless of nationality) will have priority in the selection process”- wrote  “Legion of Saint Stephen” on the Russian Vkontakte.

Participation in foreign war as mercenary is an illegal act in Hungary

Candidates are lured by the promise of high pay on the one hand, and the opportunity to fight a criminal anti-Western war on the other.  The organisation, which describes itself as a “volunteer battalion”, first appeared in 2014 during the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine. Lakmusz already identified two Hungarian citizens who fought on the Russian side in the conflict. An important addition is that the above mentioned call for volunteering at the Russian side is called prohibited recruitment. Under the Hungarian Penal Code (Article 146), it is punishable by 1 to 5 years imprisonment. At present, the Hungarian National Bureau of Investigation is conducting five criminal proceedings on reasonable suspicion of illegal recruitment.

What kind of organisation is Legion of St Stephen?

The recruitment ad was published on the Vkontakte page of the Legion of St Stephen, which has almost 7,000 followers. VK has also been used by Hungarians to express their pro-Russian views in a “censorship-free” environment. The Latin name of the site, the Legion of Saint Stephen, named after the founder of the Hungarian state, however the platform, mainly uses Russian text written with Cyrillic letters. The site is one of thousands of military blogs that have been discussing the war since the beginning of the conflict. It is also reporting from the field. The legion calls for close cooperation between Hungary and Russia in the spirit of historical revisionism. It is also very popular in Hungarian far-right circles, offering ideological identification and calling for the defence of European values, traditional gender roles and Christianity.

Legion of St. Stephen VK.com

The organisation has used a variety of means to emphasise its Hungarian orientation. Most importantly, since October 2018, the Legion has regularly posted in Hungarian on Russian social media sites. It should be added that the grammatical errors and foreign wording suggest that a translation programme may have been used to edit the texts and captions. On the other hand, ancient Hungarian symbols, which are also popular in right-wing subcultures, are also used to illustrate their posts. For example, the coat of arms with the triple fish or the double cross. The shield-shaped emblem also appears in several photos as part of military equipment.

Legion of St. Stephen VK.com

Who is behind this secret website?

Based on Lakmus’ research on Vkontakte, it is believed that the Legion of St Stephen was founded by a Russian citizen, Alexander Kiselyov. According to the rumour he spreads about himself, Kiselyov was “a descendant of a Hungarian nobleman who was captured in Russia and later settled there”. There is no doubt, however, about his enthusiasm for Hungarian culture: before joining the Legion of St Stephen, he was active in another Hungarian organisation in Russia, the Order of St George the Knight. Kishlyov is listed as a Russian mercenary and professional provocateur in the register of persons threatening Ukraine’s national security.

The hybrid warfare that Russia has been waging against Europe and the West, is a fight for people’s minds and souls. Russia does not only try to undermine trust in Europe and its institutions among its citizens, but it also aims to offer an alternative.