The Kremlin orchestrated a sophisticated disinformation campaign through a sanctioned Russian consultancy to support Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of the country's April 12 election, according to a Financial Times investigation published Tuesday.
The Social Design Agency, a Russian firm under international sanctions, designed coordinated "information attacks" against Péter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza Party that currently leads in opinion polls. The campaign positioned Orbán as a sovereign leader capable of engaging world powers as an equal, while portraying Magyar as "a Brussels puppet with no outside support," according to documents reviewed by the newspaper.
The operation employed familiar tactics from Russia's information warfare playbook: Russian-designed content including memes, videos, infographics, and stories tailored for Hungarian audiences, then distributed through local influencers to amplify reach. In Russia, as in much of the former Soviet space, understanding requires reading between the lines - and the campaign documents reveal strategic calculation at every level.
Notably, the proposal warned that open Russian backing could be counterproductive, advising operatives to avoid direct Orbán-Putin association. Instead, the strategy positioned Orbán as aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump, a messaging framework designed to resonate with Hungarian voters while obscuring Moscow's hand.
Campaign materials included AI-generated images of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy incorporated into billboard slogans distributed across Hungary by Orbán's Fidesz party.
The revelations come as Hungary prepares for parliamentary elections in a country that has become the European Union's most consistent voice opposing sanctions against Russia and military support for . Orbán has maintained closer ties with than any other EU leader since Russia's 2022 invasion.
