According to leaked documents obtained by The Washington Post, Russia's foreign intelligence service SVR planned to stage an assassination attempt on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to help him win the country's upcoming parliamentary election. The documents, reportedly authenticated by European intelligence sources, outline a strategy codenamed "The Game Changer" that would simulate an attack on Orbán to shift public opinion in his favor ahead of the April 12, 2026 election.
The plan allegedly aimed to transform the election campaign from focusing on socioeconomic issues to questions of national security and stability, potentially boosting Orbán's popularity as he faces a strong challenge from former party colleague Péter Magyar. Magyar, who left Orbán's Fidesz party to lead the opposition Tisza party, has been gaining traction with anti-corruption promises and takes a harder line toward Russia.
desinformation
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed the reports as "desinformation," denying any such Russian plot exists. The leaked documents reportedly come from the SVR's influence operations division and suggest Russia views Hungary as part of its sphere of interest. No actual assassination attempts have been carried out against Orbán, according to the reports.