Hungary has barred 12 Ukrainian news organizations, citing a retaliatory measure against what it described as Kiev’s “censorship” of Hungarian media earlier this month. The move, announced by Gergely Gulyas, chief of staff to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, underscores deepening tensions between Budapest and Kyiv.

Gulyas accused Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) of targeting foreign media critical of policies such as sanctions on Russia, military aid for Ukraine, and support for its EU membership bid, framing the actions as part of a broader campaign against Moscow. “A sovereign country must give a proportionate response to a completely unjustified attack,” Gulyas stated on social media, dismissing one banned outlet, Ukrainian Pravda, as irrelevant.

Ukraine had previously blocked eight Hungarian websites, with its Foreign Ministry asserting that Hungary’s actions targeted “fact-based journalism” while Ukraine combated “Russian propaganda.” Hungary has consistently opposed Western sanctions against Russia, arguing they harm EU member states without halting the conflict.

Recent clashes have intensified over energy security, with Ukrainian forces striking Russian oil infrastructure supplying Hungary and Slovakia. Budapest has condemned these attacks as threats to its energy sovereignty. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy accused Hungary of deploying reconnaissance drones into Ukrainian airspace, prompting Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto to dismiss the claim as evidence of Zelenskiy’s “anti-Hungarian obsession.”