Ukraine War: Russia Leaks EU Secrets, Oil Refinery Hit, Economic Slowdown & Attacks

The European Union is curtailing the sharing of sensitive information with Hungary and shifting to smaller-group meetings, following reports that Budapest has been passing intelligence about EU discussions to Russia. The move comes after the Washington Post reported Saturday that Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó regularly briefed his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, during breaks in EU meetings.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday announced an investigation into what he termed the “wiretapping” of Foreign Minister Szijjártó, according to a post on his Facebook page. “The wiretapping of a government member is a serious attack on Hungary. I have instructed the Minister of Justice to immediately investigate the information,” Orbán wrote.

The Washington Post report, citing unnamed current and former EU security officials, alleges Szijjártó provided Lavrov with “direct reports on what was discussed” and suggested potential courses of action for Russia. Szijjártó dismissed the report as “fake news” and “senseless conspiracy theories.”

The European Commission responded to the allegations Monday, stating that a “relationship of trust between member states and between them and the institution, is fundamental for the work of the EU.” Spokeswoman Anitta Hipper called the allegations “deeply concerning” and said the Commission expects the Hungarian government to provide clarifications.

Germany likewise voiced concern, with a Foreign Ministry spokesman stopping short of directly implicating Szijjártó. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has publicly supported Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar in upcoming elections, wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the reports were “not a surprise” and that suspicions about Hungary sharing information with Russia had existed for some time. “That’s one reason why I take the floor only when strictly necessary and say just as much as necessary,” Tusk stated.

The EU’s decision to limit information sharing with Hungary and conduct meetings in smaller groups reflects growing anxieties about potential leaks to Moscow. Five European diplomats and officials told POLITICO that a formal EU response has been avoided due to the potential impact on the Hungarian election scheduled for April 12.

These developments occur as Russia’s economy shows signs of strain. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Monday that Russia’s gross domestic product declined by 2.1 percent in January compared to the previous year, with industrial production also falling by 0.8 percent. Putin attributed the decline to an increased number of holidays but called for government action to return the country to a “path of sustainable growth.”

Simultaneously, Ukraine reported heavy Russian losses during intensified offensive attempts. Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Olxander Syrskyj stated on Facebook that Russian forces suffered more than 6,090 casualties within four days of intense assaults, and over 8,700 casualties in the past week, though these figures remain unverified. Russia’s Defense Ministry, however, claims to be improving its positions in eastern Ukraine and has reported the capture of two settlements in the Donetsk region.

Further compounding regional instability, a Ukrainian town, Snamjanka, was reportedly struck by Russian drones Sunday, causing damage to homes and infrastructure.

Insider sources also report that a Russian oil refinery in Saratov has been offline since a drone attack on Saturday, halting operations at a crude oil distillation facility with a capacity of 20,000 tons per day. Ukraine’s military has claimed responsibility for the attack on the Rosneft-owned facility.