Expulsed Russian spy used to operate Hungary

A Russian spy, who was expelled from Slovakia in 2022 following the start of the Russian war in Ukraine, had been allowed to operate freely in Hungary for many years.

The Russian diplomat, Anton Goriev, was transferred to Slovakia in 2019 after potentially establishing links with Hungarian extremist groups in the 2010s. Goriev was known to the Hungarian government as an “identified intelligence officer” during his nearly eight-year tenure in Hungary, writes Telex.

Carreer of a spy

Born in 1983 in a village in southern Russia, Goriev reportedly had contact with the GRU (military intelligence) during his time in the Russian army in the early 2000s. Officially joining the Russian foreign ministry in May 2012, Goriev came to Hungary as a Russian consul.

The Hungarian foreign ministry did not provide detailed information on his assignment. However, Hungarian military and civilian counterintelligence detected Goriev’s work as a military intelligence officer.

Initially involved in support roles, Goriev’s fieldwork provided him with opportunities to establish contacts with pro-Russian Hungarian organisations. One such group was the Hungarian Peace Circle, which organised an anti-Ukrainian, pro-Russian gathering with extremist organisations in 2015. Goriev allegedly attended this event as a consul, but the extent of his cooperation with the Peace Circle remains uncertain.

Controversy

Goriev progressed through the ranks at the Russian Embassy in Budapest. In April 2015, he assisted in organising a visit to Hungary by the Night Wolves, a Putinist motorcycle band. He also appeared at the inauguration of the Gagarin memorial in Ásotthalom in 2016, alongside then-mayor László Toroczkai.

Toroczkai denied any prior knowledge of Goriev and his involvement in the Gagarin ceremony. However, he did acknowledge that the Russian embassy sent Goriev to the event as a representative. The Hungarian government’s handling of the Gagarin memorial inauguration drew criticism from the US, following the release of two Russian arms dealers involved in an international investigation. The decision to grant Moscow’s extradition request raised concerns about Hungary’s commitment to law enforcement cooperation.

Transfer to Slovakia

In January 2020, Goriev appeared on the list of diplomats accredited by Slovakia. His transfer from Hungary to Slovakia raised suspicions, particularly due to his previous contacts with extremist groups. Cross-border activities by Russian spies are common, and experts emphasise the necessity of cooperation between allied countries’ counterintelligence services.

Péter Krekó of Political Capital has highlighted Goriev’s links to radical far-right groups and the attempts by Russia’s military intelligence to destabilise Western institutions. Slovak security services have been more proactive against Russian influence in comparison to the Hungarian authorities.

The current whereabouts and activities of the Russian spy remain unknown since his expulsion from Slovakia in the spring of 2022. However, it was reported that he was still employed by the Russian Foreign Ministry as of December 2022.

Source: Telex