Putin Punishes Ukraine’s Hungarians for Orbán’s Defeat — The Times
Russian occupation forces carried out their first large-scale attack on the Zakarpattia region, which had been considered the safest region in Ukraine for more than four years of full-scale invasion.
According to the British newspaper The Times, this shelling was not only a serious military threat but also a significant political event.
Analysts link the Kremlin’s aggression directly to the change in political leadership in neighboring Hungary, where Péter Magyar has taken office as prime minister.
Located as far as possible from the front line and protected by the Carpathian Mountains, Zakarpattia has for years remained a complex issue in bilateral relations between Kyiv and Budapest.
The main factor influencing this was the presence of a large Hungarian national minority in the region. Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán actively exploited the topic of war during his election campaign.
He attempted to intimidate ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia, emphasizing that his political rival’s rise to power would mean the country’s immediate involvement in an armed conflict.
Despite the previous government’s massive propaganda campaign, Péter Magyar won the election and officially became the head of the Hungarian government.
Immediately after his inauguration, the aggressor country launched a massive airstrike on Uzhhorod and other cities in the border region.
Many local residents supported Orbán due to significant financial aid, the issuance of passports, and funding for educational programs in exchange for their loyalty at the polls.
The civilian population of Zakarpattia Oblast was in a state of deep shock due to the sudden escalation. People who had felt relatively safe for years realized that there were no completely safe places in Ukraine.
“I was shocked that we were under attack. This has always been a peaceful place, the calmest in the whole country. Now the war is coming closer to us, and there is no place in Ukraine that is safe,” a resident of Uzhhorod told the publication.
Young people in border towns also note a direct link between the change of government in the neighboring country and the actions of Russian terrorists.
“Of course, this happened because of the change of government in Hungary. Since then, we no longer feel safe here,” said a young woman.
Newly elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar strongly condemned the Russian strike on the civilian infrastructure of Transcarpathia.
Unlike his predecessor, he announced his intention to summon the Russian ambassador to provide official explanations regarding the shelling. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed this firm diplomatic stance.
20 years ago, Putin visited Novhorod-Siverskyi with a nuclear button
Earlier, the Kremlin officially confirmed Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s visit to China, scheduled for May 19–20. The trip will take place just a few days after the summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has accepted an invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump and will make an official visit to the United States this fall.
