“The Hungarians have made their choice. We respect this choice. We expect to continue our pragmatic contacts with the new leadership of Hungary,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. “What actions the new Hungarian leadership will take — we will probably have to be patient and see how things develop.” During Mr Orbán’s 16 years in power, he used Hungary’s veto to repeatedly delay decisions on aid to Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia. However, he conceded defeat to centre-right, pro-EU challenger Péter Magyar following a landslide vote.
“Once again, we are interested in building good relations with Hungary, as well as with all European countries. […] Unfortunately, we cannot yet speak of reciprocity from European countries, but Russia remains open to dialogue,” Peskov added.
However, other pro-Kremlin officials took a far less measured tone, seizing the chance to criticise Russia’s adversaries in Europe. Kirill Dmitriev, a Kremlin envoy in US-led talks on ending the war in Ukraine, said Mr Orbán’s defeat would “just accelerate the collapse of the EU.”
“Check if I am right in four months,” Dmitriev, who also serves as CEO of Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, added on X.
This comes as Ukraine was once again battered overnight by a new onslaught by Russia. Since the evening of April 13, Russian forces attacked Ukraine with four Kh-59/69 air-to-surface missiles and 129 drones. One missile and 114 drones were destroyed or jammed, although some strikes were recorded.
The missiles were launched from temporarily occupied Donetsk Oblast, while the drones came from the Russian cities of Kursk, Oryol, Bryansk and Primorsko-Akhtarsk as well as Cape Chauda and Hvardiiske in occupied Crimea and occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast.
Meanwhile, according to Oleksii Kuleba, Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration, a civilian Panamanian-flagged vessel and port infrastructure were damaged in a Russian strike on the city of Izmail in Odesa Oblast.
He said: “Russia attacked maritime infrastructure facilities in Izmail last night using drones. Several hits on the port area were recorded […] Some infrastructure facilities and equipment were damaged, as well as a vessel sailing under the Panamanian flag. One of the strikes caused a fire which was promptly extinguished.”
