Hungary summons Russian ambassador over drone strikes on western Ukraine
Hungary's Response to Russian Drone Attacks
BUDAPEST, May 13 (Reuters) - Hungary has summoned Russia's ambassador over a drone attack on western Ukraine, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Wednesday.
Details of the Drone Attack
Russia unleashed a daytime drone attack on Ukraine earlier on Wednesday, targeting critical infrastructure and killing at least three people in the west and prompting NATO-member Poland to scramble fighter jets.
Diplomatic Actions and Statements
Summoning of the Russian Ambassador
The Russian ambassador has been summoned to the foreign ministry on Thursday to meet foreign minister Anita Orban, Magyar said during a press conference following the first cabinet meeting of the new Hungarian government.
Hungarian Government's Condemnation
Orban will condemn the attack at the meeting and ask the ambassador when Russia plans to end the more than four-year-old war with Ukraine, he added.
Public Statements by Hungarian Officials
Earlier on Wednesday, Orban said in a Facebook video that Hungary "deeply condemns" Russian drone strikes on ethnic Hungarian regions in western Ukraine.
International Reactions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the summoning of the Russian ambassador as "an important message."
"Moscow has again demonstrated that it is a serious threat not only to Ukraine but to all its neighbours and to Europe as a whole," Zelenskiy, attending a security gathering in Romania, wrote on Telegram.
Background and Context
Russia's Embassy Response
Russia's embassy in Budapest did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Hungary-Russia Relations
Former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government maintained a close relationship with Moscow even after Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Gergely Szakacs, Jason Hovet and Anita Komuves; Writing by Karol Badohal; Editing by Kirsten Donovan, Ron Popeski and Mark Porter)
