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Ukraine war anniversary: Protesters rally at Russian Embassy in Budapest – photos
Hundreds gathered in Budapest on Sunday to mark the Ukraine war anniversary, staging a demonstration near the Russian Embassy and voicing support for Ukraine and the victims of the conflict, according to organisers and Hungarian media reports.
The event was organised by the Európához Tartozunk Association, which said the aim was a public stand for peace, freedom and human dignity, and a clear rejection of violence and aggression against sovereign nations.
Ukraine war anniversary protest held near the Russian Embassy in Budapest
Demonstrators marched along Andrássy Avenue to the Russian Embassy building in the Bajza Street area, where several speakers addressed the crowd, including Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony, Momentum politician Márton Tompos, Jaroszlava Hartyányi (a leading figure in Hungary’s Ukrainian community and head of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organisations), and Péter Horgas, president of the Civil Bázis Association.
A large number of European ambassadors attended the event to show their solidarity with Ukraine, and Ukraine’s ambassador to Budapest, Sándor Fegyir, also spoke at the event.
Reports from the event said the crowd chanted slogans critical of the Hungarian government and Russia, and the demonstration ended with candles placed in memory of victims.
Karácsony apologises to Ukrainians, warns against “capitulation” peace
In his speech, Karácsony referenced an earlier opening of an exhibition in central Budapest featuring drawings by Ukrainian children,
Gergely Karácsony stated that Hungary is not synonymous with its government, which initially attempted to conflate the victim with the perpetrator and openly became an ally of evil, Karácsony continued.
“They have changed from Putin’s lapdog to Putin’s pit bull, buying wealth for himself and his oligarchs with the blood of Ukrainians, and buying poverty for this country with the blood of Ukrainians,” said the mayor.
He also apologised to Ukrainians for what he described as hostile political messaging in Hungary, and said peace cannot mean capitulation or a dictated settlement.
Tompos delivered a sharply critical address targeting both Russia’s leadership and Hungary’s prime minister, using strong language that went beyond standard political rhetoric.
Hartyányi said the war was not Ukraine’s choice and framed the invasion as an existential threat, while Horgas described Russia as an aggressor state and criticised cooperation with Moscow.
Background for foreign readers: why February matters, and the war’s human cost
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022, making late February a recurring moment for vigils and rallies across Europe, including in Budapest.
The humanitarian impact remains vast. UNHCR reports that by September 2025 around 5.75 million refugees from Ukraine were recorded globally, including about 5.2 million in Europe, while roughly 3.75 million people were internally displaced.
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine said 2025 was the deadliest year for civilians since 2022, documenting 2,514 civilian deaths and 12,142 injuries.
In contrast, the Hungarian government has received a lot of criticism over the past four years because, instead of reducing oil purchases from aggressor Russia, it has actually increased them. With their political and business ties to Moscow, they have become a kind of sponsor of the war, which the EU rejects.
Ukraine initiated the energy decoupling from Russia, which is at war, when it stopped supplying oil to Hungary, but this met with serious resistance from the Orbán government, and this is where we stand now:
Hungary blocks EU sanctions package over halted Ukrainian oil deliveries
Budapest has hosted similar commemorations in recent years
Budapest has seen regular commemorations around the anniversary, often linked to the area of the Russian Embassy. Previous years have included joint civil-opposition events and city-led commemorations, reflecting how the war continues to reverberate in Hungarian public life.
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