A Kremlin-linked bot network has mounted a coordinated disinformation campaign targeting Hungary's parliamentary elections, according to a report by investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi citing research from Russian opposition outlet The Insider and the Bot Blocker project.
The so-called "Matryoshka network" has flooded social media platforms with false narratives designed to inflame tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, Polish Radio reported. The operation comes less than a month before Hungary's April 12 vote, widely seen as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's toughest electoral challenge in over a decade.
The bot network has distributed fabricated content including doctored videos bearing logos of legitimate news organizations. False claims have included a Ukrainian refugee allegedly attempting to throw a grenade at Hungary's Paris embassy and invented statistics about attacks by Ukrainian refugees on Hungarian citizens across Europe. Manipulated videos purporting to show President Volodymyr Zelensky insulting Hungarians or making threats have also circulated.
"The methods include creating confusion and manipulating public opinion through misleading or fabricated content," the report stated. The disinformation operation appears designed to reinforce narratives central to Orbán's campaign, which has consistently argued that European Union support for Ukraine prolongs the war.
The revelation highlights a striking paradox at the heart of Hungarian politics. While Orbán positions himself as a defender of national sovereignty against and foreign interference, external forces appear to be actively supporting his government's messaging. The Hungarian government has itself accused of interfering in domestic politics, even as pro-Kremlin networks amplify anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
