Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated on Saturday evening on X that Ukraine would have collapsed long ago without the backing of the European Union and NATO.

“Hungary is a member of NATO and the EU. Ukraine would have already collapsed without the support of these two organisations,” Orbán wrote. Referring to President Volodymyr Zelensky, he added: “Mr. President, with all due respect: stop harassing us!”

Hungarian Defence Forces deny drones violated Ukrainian airspace

The Hungarian Defence Forces (HDF) have rejected claims that their drones entered Ukrainian airspace, according to a statement published by the Defence Staff on honvedelem.hu on Saturday.

They emphasised that the HDF and the Ministry of Interior maintain a continuous, 24/7 direct communication channel with their Ukrainian counterparts. Any cross-border flight operations are mutually reported in advance, making it impossible for such activities to take place without notification.

The statement noted that the images shared by the Ukrainian General Staff on social media lack professional details, such as flight data, speed, or altitude. They stressed that on 26 September 2025, neither the Ministry of Interior nor the HDF carried out any aerial activity in the areas mentioned.

ukraine hungary hungarian drones war in ukraine
A map showing the route of the drone that entered Ukraine from Hungary. Photo by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook.

The communiqué also included two map excerpts. One shows the alleged route of an aircraft crossing the border twice between Tiszaszentmárton (Hungary) and Szalóka (Ukraine). According to the HDF, the Tisza River serves as a clear reference point for professional flight crews and drone operators, making such incidents implausible.

The second map depicts another alleged flight route near Uzhhorod on the same day. The Defence Staff stated it is impossible for any aircraft to enter 20 kilometres deep into Ukraine from Hungary undetected, and the HDF has no knowledge of such flights.

They also reminded that Hungarian law enforcement regularly monitors the Hungarian-Ukrainian border, which is also the external border of both NATO and the EU. Ukraine is consistently informed about these patrol activities, the statement added.

Read also:

Szijjártó: Attack on Druzhba oil pipeline does not affect Hungarian supply

Szijjártó Péter New York Croatia Adria pipeline debate Mol Janaf
Péter Szijjártó during an interview in New York at the UN General Assembly. Photo: Screenshot – Facebook / Péter Szijjártó

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced on Facebook on Saturday that a Ukrainian attack on the Russian section of the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline does not affect crude oil deliveries to Hungary.

“The attack on the Druzhba oil pipeline does not impact the flow of supplies to Hungary; our country’s oil shipments continue uninterrupted,” the minister wrote. According to reports, a Ukrainian drone strike on Saturday hit one of the pipeline’s stations in Russia’s Chuvashia region.