Russia has threatened to retaliate after Hungary expelled 10 Russian diplomats, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova criticised the decision, warning that Moscow would respond strongly to what it described as anti-Russian actions in Budapest.
“The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be harsh and painful,” Zakharova told state-run news agency Tass.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban announced on Monday that the 10 diplomats were expelled over activities considered incompatible with their diplomatic status.
She said the decision was necessary to safeguard Hungary’s security and sovereignty.
However, Orban stressed that the expulsions did not signal a decision by Budapest to sever diplomatic relations with Moscow.
She added that Hungary would continue its dialogue with Russia despite the diplomatic dispute.
The latest move comes after Hungary expelled a Russian diplomat in May over alleged intelligence-gathering activities.
Relations between the two countries also came under strain in May when Orban summoned Russian Ambassador Evgeny Stanislavov following Russian drone strikes on Ukraine’s western Zakarpattia region.
The region has a sizeable ethnic Hungarian community, raising concerns in Budapest over the impact of the attacks on ethnic Hungarians living there.
