Hungarian drones breach Ukraine's airspace, Zelensky says
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sept. 26 that reconnaissance drones likely belonging to Hungary had violated Ukraine's airspace along the border.
This is the first such reported incident.
In a statement posted on X, Zelensky said Ukrainian forces recorded drone incursions over border areas and that preliminary assessments suggest the unmanned aircraft were "conducting reconnaissance on the industrial potential of Ukraine's border areas."
"I instructed that all available information be verified and that urgent reports be made on each recorded incident," Zelensky said.
Hungary has not officially commented on the allegation.
In his briefing, Zelensky also said Ukraine's military downed a Russian Su-34 jet over Zaporizhzhia and reported progress in the Dobropillia counteroffensive in Donetsk Oblast, claiming the liberation of nearly 169 square kilometers (65 square miles) of territory and heavy Russian personnel losses.
The claim over Hungarian drones comes amid heightened security concerns along NATO's eastern flank, where Russian drones have previously crossed into Romania and Poland, triggering a NATO response in the latter.
Hungary and Slovakia were not invited to a Sept. 26 high-level video conference on building a "drone wall" along the EU's eastern border, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told Suspilne on Sept. 22.
Hungary and Slovakia, both of which have maintained closer ties with Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, have frequently resisted tougher EU measures against Moscow.
