Magyar reveals details of Orbán's disinformation campaign allegedly prepared by Russian political strategists

Péter Magyar, the leader of the Hungarian opposition Tisza party, has stated that the Fidesz party of current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will in the coming days launch a disinformation campaign prepared jointly with Russian political strategists. The campaign will focus on social media, primarily TikTok.

Earlier, investigative journalists found that Russia had sent a group of political strategists to Hungary. They reportedly operate from the Russian embassy in Budapest and are tasked with carrying out a disinformation campaign and interfering in the country's parliamentary elections.

The Hungarian opposition leader said the campaign would begin in the coming days and would focus mainly on social media, especially TikTok.

"In the coming days, the Fidesz party, together with Russian services, will launch a smear and disinformation campaign that has already been tested in Moldova, primarily on social media, particularly on TikTok," Magyar wrote n Facebook.

He said that Fidesz has prepared 14 discrediting video clips created using artificial intelligence about the Tisza candidate and members of his family.

The videos are expected to be spread by fake social media accounts whose owners will reportedly be paid several tens of millions of forints (tens of thousands of euros).

Magyar called on Orbán to halt the planned disinformation campaign and expel the Russian agents from Hungary.

"I call on Viktor Orbán to immediately stop the planned series of election manipulations and expel the Russian agents from Hungary. I am announcing that after 12 April all those who took part in these crimes will face trial," Magyar warned.

The leader of the Tisza party had previously appealed to Russia to refrain from any influence on the Hungarian parliamentary elections, promising Moscow "balanced" relations.