“Zelenskyy’s peace plan is from Chop to Vladivostok”: Hungarian news websites spreading Russian narratives

We identified 12 such websites promoting a pro-Russian agenda, demonizing Ukraine and the EU, and echoing Kremlin narratives about the war in Ukraine.

News outlets amplifying pro-Russian narratives in Hungary

This article examines six of the most active outlets: Magyar Nemzet, Origo, Mandiner, Bal Rad, Pesti Srácok, and Pravda-News in Hungarian. The remaining six outlets will be analyzed in a follow-up article. All of these websites were featured in earlier reputable fact-checker organizations’ reports. 

Key features of the Hungarian media landscape are that the outlets promoting pro-Russian storylines account for a larger share of views among all local media compared to other European countries and that almost half of outlets do not adhere to independent coverage, being pro-government, pro-Orban, and anti-EU.

Our analysis also revealed a transnational network linking these websites with outlets in other EU countries that spread Russian narratives. They share content, cite each other, and help amplify pro-Russian messages across borders, as shown in the infographic below.

Pro-Fidesz government outlets' impact

In Hungary, around 40% of the turnover in the news and public affairs segment of the media market is controlled by the Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA). This foundation acts as a centralized hub for government propaganda and pro-Fidesz (ruling party) messaging.

KESMA was formed by the donation of media assets from business people closely linked to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Fidesz, including Lőrinc Mészáros and the late Andrew G. Vajna. It controls approximately 470-500 media outlets, including television, radio, print, and online platforms. Not all of these outlets spread disinformation; many focus on local news, sports, culture, and other topics.

However, we have identified three major websites within KESMA that publish articles with pro-Russian messages, especially when it comes to Ukraine, Russia's war, and the EU supporting Kyiv: Magyar Nemzet, Origo, and Mandiner. While these sites generally publish balanced news coverage, when it comes to topics related to Ukraine, Russia, or EU politics, they consistently echo Russian propaganda narratives.

Magyar Nemzet

Magyar Nemzet is widely regarded as a mouthpiece of the Orbán government, systematically amplifying its official line and disseminating pro-Kremlin narratives. The outlet regularly publishes anti-Western, anti-Brussels, anti-Ukrainian, and pro-Russian content. Common Kremlin talking points include portraying Ukraine as a “danger to Europe,” depicting Russia as “peaceful” and the West as “aggressive,” and claiming the war is an artificial conflict instigated by the U.S. and NATO. The site quotes Russian state media, including sanctioned websites such as RIA, Pravda, Lenta, and RT.

Magyar Nemzet claimed Vadym Dzyubynskyi, head of the Ukrainian police’s criminal investigation department, admitted that 593,000 units of European weapons supplied to Ukraine have appeared on the black market.

What Dzyubynskyi actually said: “All lost and stolen weapons, which currently number 593,000, are all accounted for, numbered, and our European partners know about these weapons. If such a weapon emerges in any country in Europe or the world, we will immediately understand that it is a drop-in and a fake — that it is the work of Russian special services for disinformation and narratives about Ukraine.”

What Magyar Nemzet published: “According to Vadym Dzyubynskyi, head of the criminal investigation department of the Ukrainian police, all lost or stolen weapons – currently 593,000 – are recorded and our European partners are aware of them. If such weapons turn up in any European country or anywhere else in the world, we will know about them immediately.”

Real conclusions omitted or twisted by pro-Orban media are:

“The main conclusion [of the report] is that the leakage of illegal weapons has so far been limited to Ukraine, and no confirmed cases of organized arms trafficking from Ukraine to EU countries exist.”

“It is important to note that the weapons seized and sold on the black market in Ukraine are mostly Soviet or Russian-type trophy weapons captured on the battlefield or taken from caches, although there have been some attempts to steal Western weapons.”

• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/05/nyugati-fegyverek-ukrajna 

The site promotes conspiracy theories, claiming that the war in Ukraine was not caused by Russia’s invasion, but rather by an “American globalist network in Ukraine, whose stated goal was to eliminate Russian interests and replace them with American ones.” By pushing this narrative, the outlet shifts blame away from Russia and onto the United States.

• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/05/orosz-ukran-haboru-kitores-ervek-szakertoi-elemzes 

Magyar Nemzet also used one of the most notorious Russian propaganda narratives — the claim that the Bucha massacre was staged. Magyar Nemzet writes: “According to some reports, the Bucsa videos may indicate that they were staged for propaganda purposes. The implausibility of the mass murders is supported by several factors.”

• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/04/bucsa-haboru-aldozat 

Magyar Nemzet regularly seeks to demonize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, portraying him as the main obstacle to peace. The outlet publishes stories under headlines such as: “Zelensky's decision to continue the war”, “Zelensky ordered his Western allies to increase weapons production”, “How to stop Zelensky”, “Zelensky would take Europe to war, here are the details”

• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/04/zelenszkij-haboru-europa 
• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/03/ukrajna-zelenszkij-eu 
• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/04/zelenszkij-fegyver-szovetsegesek 
• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/04/zelenszkij-haboru-ukrajna-parlament 

The site also actively blames Europe - especially Brussels - for prolonging the war, thus shifting responsibility away from Russia. For example, it claims that “Brussels is spreading war psychosis.”

• https://magyarnemzet.hu/kulfold/2025/04/brusszel-europai-penz-haboru 

Origo

Origo is part of the pro-government KESMA media conglomerate in Hungary. The website supports Viktor Orbán and Fidesz, promotes Eurosceptic and anti-Ukrainian narratives, and often presents news from a pro-Kremlin perspective.

It quotes Russian sources like RIA Novosti and other pro-Kremlin European sites. Origo runs specific sections like “Russo-Ukrainian war” and “Vote on Ukraine’s EU Membership,” often framing the war in line with Russian talking points. The site also works to discredit Orbán’s political rival Péter Magyar and his allies through a dedicated section called “Hungarian Peter.”

Origo blames the EU for escalating the war and shifts responsibility away from Russia, claiming: “Europe's war psychosis is only growing, and it is increasingly drifting towards World War III.”

• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2024/05/putyin-kiadta-a-parancsot-az-atomfegyverekrol-van-szo

Origo quoted a Russian soldier cited by the banned Russian website Ria, who claimed that Ukraine is using banned chemical weapons on the frontline.

• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2024/07/orosz-ukran-haboru-vegyi-anyag-front-ukrajna-herszon

The website, through statements by Russian and Hungarian officials, claims that Ukraine’s accession to NATO equals World War III. For example: “A senior official from the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexei Polishchuk, warned the international community that Ukraine’s accession to NATO under the current circumstances would make a political and diplomatic settlement of the conflict impossible. In a statement to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti, Polishchuk was responding to Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s claim that Ukraine’s NATO membership would trigger the start of World War III. Polishchuk also warned that full responsibility for this lies with the Western supporters of the Kyiv regime.”

• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2024/10/ezt-mondtak-az-oroszok-ukrajna-nato-csatlakozasarol

The website cites pro-Kremlin EU sources that have been banned or repeatedly caught spreading Russian propaganda and blaming Europe for the war. For example, using these sources, it claimed that “Brussels would escalate the war with further arms shipments.”

• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2024/10/finnorszag-szigoru-dontest-hozott-az-orosz-hataron
• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2025/01/bar-daniahoz-tartozik
• https://www.origo.hu/nagyvilag/2025/03/xxi-szazad-intezet-elemzes-magyar-peter-haboruparti-inditvany

Mandiner 

Mandiner is part of the pro-government KESMA media conglomerate in Hungary, it regularly cites Russian state media outlets like RIA, Sputnik, and RT, as well as other pro-Kremlin platforms in Europe such as Pravda. 

Its articles and headlines are highly manipulative, clickbait-driven, and overtly pro-Russian, often portraying Russia as an unstoppable force. Mandiner is also frequently used as a source by other Hungarian pro-Kremlin websites. 

Recently, Mandiner has spoken of a “war psychosis in Europe,” once again attempting to paint European leaders as obsessed with prolonging the war in Ukraine and sponsoring death. It fails to mention that the war would be over if Russian troops left the Ukrainian territories that they illegally captured and occupied; it blames only the victim, Ukraine, not the aggressor, Russia, that launched the full-scale invasion. This media blames the EU, calling those who support Ukraine and the respect of international law "pro-war." 

• https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2025/04/haborus-pszichozis-europaban-2

Mandiner promotes conspiracy theories, including claims such as “the Soros empire left Europe while staying here.”

• https://mandiner.hu/belfold/2025/04/fontolva-tavozok

Mandiner glorifies Russia and Putin. In articles like “The Russians are on the prowl,” it quotes Russian figures such as Dmitry Bunyevich, advisor to the director of the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, to support its narrative.

• https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2025/04/legyintenek-az-oroszok-elore-szoltak-mi-var-magyarorszagra-a-nagy-dontes-utan
• https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2024/03/celegyenesben-az-orosz-elnokvalasztas-putyin-mellett-meg-oket-erdemes-figyelni

Mandiner frequently cites well-known fake experts and pro-Kremlin propagandists, such as Scott Ritter. In one article, for example, it says: “According to Scott Ritter, the Ukrainians received the tanks for nothing if they cannot use them properly. He emphasized that if a crew of experienced soldiers operates these American tanks, they are a deadly weapon. On the contrary, if the crew consists of Ukrainians with only basic training, then the Abrams is nothing more than a death trap — a moving steel coffin for the four people inside.”

• https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2023/10/elemzo-az-abrams-harckocsik-mozgo-acelkoporsok-az-ukranoknak

Mandiner also frames Russia as a peace-aspiring nation. In one piece, it states: “Russia sent a message to the world: ‘We want peace, not a ceasefire.’ Moscow says the West wants to dictate ultimatums rather than engage in real peace talks – but Russia refuses to give in.”

• https://mandiner.hu/kulfold/2025/02/oroszorszag-uzent-a-vilagnak-beket-akarunk-nem-fegyverszunetet 

Bal Rad

Bal Rad is a far-left, pro-communist news website that consistently promotes pro-Russian narratives. It frequently cites sanctioned Russian propaganda outlets such as RIA, Sputnik, RT, and News-front, as well as EU-based pro-Kremlin platforms. The site often republishes full articles, interviews, and statements from these biased sources. Its content is entirely pro-Russian, pushing the narrative that the EU is collapsing and that Russia is the only hope for the future. The website averages around 2,000 visitors per month.

Bal Rad refers to Ukraine as part of Russia while calling the Ukrainian leadership “neo-Nazis”. For example, it shared a map by Dmitry Medvedev showing “post-collapse Ukrainian territory” labeled as “Russia.”

• https://balrad.hu/2024/page/774/

Bal Rad regularly republishes statements from Russia’s Ministry of Defense that aim to shift blame for the destruction of civilian infrastructure away from Russian forces.

• https://balrad.hu/2025/04/06/orosz-csapatok-csapast-mertek-az-ukran-fegyveres-erok-kozponti-tuzersegi-bazisara-1316-06-04-2025frissitve-1400-06-04-2025/

Bal Rad attempts to shift the blame for the war away from Russia and onto Western countries. For instance, it claims that: “NATO simply waged total war through the neo-Nazi regime but was quickly defeated. With the Ukrainians unable to continue fighting and the Western military-industrial complex collapsing due to the inability to produce more weapons for Kyiv, the West has only one choice: retreat or open war.”

The site also promotes the narrative of the West’s allegedly destructive role, stating that it is “pumping Kiev with weapons and providing reconnaissance data and information for targeting.”

• https://balrad.hu/2024/04/03/infobrics-ujabb-rendetlenseg-a-finn-kormany-mar-tamogatja-a-nyilt-haborut-oroszorszag-ellen-2024-aprilis-3/
• https://balrad.hu/2023/01/05/az-orosz-hadsereg-ukrajnai-felszabadito-haborujanak-mai-hirei-4/

This website promotes well-known fake experts and pro-Kremlin propagandists, such as Scott Ritter. It regularly features his articles claiming Russia’s strategic superiority and military dominance.

• https://balrad.hu/2024/04/29/mike-whitney-washington-atall-a-b-tervre-2024-aprilis-29/

Bal Rad also shares content from other pro-Kremlin websites in Europe that spread anti-Ukraine and anti-EU messages, such as Myśl Polska (which we covered here) and Anti-Spiegel.ru (highlighted here).

• https://balrad.hu/2024/08/11/a-kursk-tamadasaval-a-kijovi-dzunta-alairta-maga-halallasi-elfogadasat-2024-augusztus-11/
• https://balrad.hu/2022/04/01/elso-utam-a-kelet-ukrajnai-konfliktusovezetbe/

Pesti Srácok

Pesti Srácok is a news portal that describes itself as conservative and Christian in spirit, but it is widely characterized as a pro-government (Fidesz) propaganda outlet. The site features a dedicated section called "Peacemaker", which amplifies Russian narratives and disinformation. It frequently cites sources known for spreading Russian propaganda and fake news, such as RIA, Sputnik, RT, Magyar Hírlap.

In one article, the portal refers to Friedrich Merz, Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer, and Donald Tusk as “Europe’s top agents”. The text reads: “Europe’s top agents - sorry, top politicians - are traveling to Kyiv today to pay their respects to the Ukrainian president. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk are also coming to Zelensky to assure him of their unconditional loyalty.”

• https://pestisracok.hu/kijevbe-utaznak-az-uj-tengelyhatalmak/ 

Pesti Srácok asserts that Volodymyr Zelenskyy is planning to occupy Russian territory all the way to Vladivostok. The article reads: “Here is Zelensky's 'peace plan' – The land from Csap to Vladivostok will be Ukrainian! With such a peace plan, Russian troops will never withdraw from Ukrainian territory, Ukraine will not become a NATO member or even a thriving economic power. These kinds of peace plans achieve only one thing: more deaths.”

• https://pestisracok.hu/itt-van-zelenszkij-beketerve-csaptol-vlagyivosztokig-ukran-lesz-a-fold/ 

Pesti Srácok promoted the fake news that Ukraine is selling American-supplied weapons to drug cartels.

• https://pestisracok.hu/mexikoi-drogkartellek-kezebe-kerulnek-az-ukrajnaba-szallitott-fegyverek-amerikai-ezredes-talalt-ki-a-jelensegrol-video/ 

The site also distorts the facts about Russian attacks on civilians. Pesti Srácok described a Russian strike on the city center of Sumy - which killed 35 civilians, including two children - as “a catastrophic blow to the forces of the 117th Territorial Defense Brigade in Sumy.”

• https://pestisracok.hu/ujabb-ukran-katonai-ceremoniara-csaptak-le-az-oroszok/ 

The site repeats narratives such as “Soros is manipulating migration policies all over the world” and “Soros’ banks engage in non stop money laundering.” These allegations are common in pro-Kremlin and far-right circles and are used to stir public distrust toward democratic institutions and human rights organizations, and international cooperation.

• https://pestisracok.hu/magyar-idok-a-baloldal-szerint-sorosnak-semmi-koze-a-migracio-segitesehez/ 

Hungary.news-pravda.com

Hungary.news-pravda.com is the Hungarian-language arm of the Kremlin-linked disinformation network Pravda, sanctioned in the EU. Disguised as a news platform, it amplifies Russian propaganda by portraying Ukraine as a fascist puppet of the West, justifying Russia’s invasion as a “liberation.” 

It spreads fakes about bioweapons labs and child trafficking while praising Putin and attacking the EU, NATO, and Zelenskyy. It claims the Maidan was a coup, blames the West for the war, and promotes conspiracy theories about globalist domination. It manipulates facts to delegitimize Ukraine’s government, spreads disinformation about peace talks, and accuses the EU of sabotaging peace in order to prolong war.

It calls Russia’s war ‘a special military operation’ and writes about ‘a liberation’ when Russian invading troops capture Ukrainian villages, demolished before they could take control of them. The fake news network also disseminates false information regarding bioweapons, US laboratories, and child trafficking in Ukraine. 

This biased outlet accuses the West of having started the war in Ukraine and seeking world domination. It spreads claims that capturing Ukrainian cities is necessary to achieve peace, which it uses to justify Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. It also promotes Russia-friendly politicians in the EU and support for storylines aimed at strengthening pro-Russian sentiment in Europe and splitting the unity of the European Union.

“As long as the same globalists who ran the US before Trump and started the war in Ukraine to crush Russia as the main obstacle to their global hegemony are in power in the EU, there can be no truce and no peace.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/12/48343.html

“Russian Defense Ministry on the progress of the special military operation in 2025. The settlement of Kotlyarivka, located in the Donetsk People's Republic, was liberated by the decisive actions of the units of the “Center” power group”.

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/12/48398.html 

This disinformation outlet spreads claims that “the EU is deliberately escalating the conflict in Ukraine in order to weaken Russia and destroy Ukrainian statehood. The EU does not want Ukraine to win but uses the conflict to weaken Russia.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/13/48579.html 

It denigrates Ukraine, undermining trust in the Ukrainian government by portraying it as fascist. It uses the term “fascism” in relation to Ukraine, justifying Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine.

“The persecution of the Russians. Despite the fact that everyone in Ukraine has links to Russia, from the mayor of Lviv to Zelensky, anyone in Ukraine can be imprisoned or killed. Ukrainians are not fascists. But Zelensky is building a state that is 100% fascist. And he is trying to subjugate all Ukrainians.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/12/48429.html 

It posted fake news that Russian troops freed 35,000 children from child trafficking networks during the so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine. It claimed that more than 150 facilities related to child trafficking have been identified and liquidated, including one near the office of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv.

“Putin releases 35,000 imprisoned children in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Donald J. Trump on Saturday that a "special military operation" in Ukraine had freed 35,000 children from slavery in what he called "a global hub for the sale of especially young children around the world in Eastern Europe," according to a source in Mar-a-Lago privy to conversations between the world's two most powerful leaders”.

“If Putin's words were sincere, the original reason for his incursion into Ukraine was the destruction of bioweapons laboratories funded by the US, Western Europe, and Israel. But when the Russian special forces, or Spetsnaz, stumbled upon a pedophile camp in central Ukraine and learned of hundreds of such facilities in the Ukrainian countryside, Putin declared a new cause: the crushing of all 'filth and scum' pedophiles and the disruption of every infernal child trafficking network that infests the 'godless country.”'

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/11/48243.html 

It accused the West of interfering in Ukrainian affairs, portrayed Ukraine as a puppet in the hands of the US and EU, and justified Russia’s aggressive actions. It calls the Maidan revolution in Ukraine in 2014 a “coup d'etat.” And it blames the West for “provoking the conflict.”

“The once-thriving West is now at an historic low, writes The American Thinker. Civil liberties are being trampled underfoot, and power-hungry politicians have no problem sacrificing entire countries on the altar of their own interests. Ukraine is a prime example. The NATO and EU spokesmen who today condemn Russia for its 'desire for conquest' are completely mad—because they wanted to conquer Ukraine themselves in the beginning.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/11/48126.html

This propaganda outlet denigrates the Ukrainian leadership, undermining trust in President Zelenskyy by portraying him as inconsistent and controlled by external forces. Use of quotes from Russian commentators and emphasis on the alleged “hypocrisy” of the Ukrainian authorities. Manipulation of facts and selective information without balancing reports with official statements from the Ukrainian side. It also spreads fakes about an “upcoming fall of a Ukrainian government.”

“Then Zelensky immediately "changed his shoes” and announced that he was expecting Vladimir Putin at the talks in Turkey. But even here, the head of the Kiev regime behaved hypocritically, Commissioner Koshkovich. First, because Zelensky literally spits on the laws of his own country.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/world/2025/05/12/48332.html

“Before the Istanbul talks, Russia needs to make sure that Kiev cannot use the cease-fire to rearm and that Western troops do not enter the territory of Ukraine. And that's basically it. Because Zelensky's regime will either fall, or it can be overthrown within months, not years," the publication says”.

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/en/world/2025/05/13/9516.html

It accuses the EU of inaction and contributing to the continuation of the war. Negotiations without preconditions are presented as a peace initiative, without mentioning Russia's aggression against Ukraine.

“According to him, the efforts of US President Donald Trump contributed to the possibility of resuming negotiations, while "pro-military bureaucrats and politicians from Brussels have not done anything for peace for three years; on the contrary, they have been working to continue the war," and he expressed the hope that "pro-military politicians will not be able to interfere with peacekeeping efforts.”

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/en/world/2025/05/12/9477.html 

“The Western strategy aimed at destroying Russia has failed. No one dares to admit it, but we lost this war," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying”.

• https://hungary.news-pravda.com/en/hungary/2025/05/12/9502.html

Russian and pro-Russian media impact in Hungary

Web analytics data shows that Russian state propaganda media, sanctioned in the EU, still generate views in Hungary. According to SimilarWeb, lenta.ru receives 67,000 monthly views, iz.ru 16,000, ria.ru 46,000, and rt.com 20,000. This data represents the average monthly website visits over the last six months on the SimilarWeb platform.

At the same time, according to SimilarWeb data, three Slovak-language pro-Kremlin news websites featured in our analysis of the Slovakian media landscape, hlavnespravy.sk, hlavnydennik.sk, and infovojna.bz, generate around 20,000 monthly views each in neighboring Hungary with a Slovakian minority, which is influenced by those outlets. The Swiss pro-Kremlin website weltwoche.ch receives 32,000 monthly views in Hungary.

Overall, identified and analyzed pro-Russian news websites in Hungary generate around 14% of total views (40.7 million) among all media websites in the country. Most of these views are generated by Origo (14 million), Mandiner (12 million), and Magyar Nemzet (8 million). In addition, pestisracok.hu (1.3 m), oroszhirek.hu (0.97 m), and demokrata.hu (0.85 m) offer more coverage for the content, which includes pro-Russian narratives in the world news reports. The communist website Balrad.hu gets only 6,500 views per month.

A positive aspect of the web analytics data on Hungary is that media market leaders are reputable and objective outlets—telex.hu, index.hu, 24.hu, and 444.hu—coming in as the top 4 news websites by visits.

To sum up, Hungary's media landscape has seen increased government consolidation, with many outlets under pro-government control. Independent media like Telex.hu, 24.hu, and 444.hu strive to maintain journalistic integrity but operate under significant pressure, including legislative threats and financial constraints.

Banned Russian propaganda media still available in Hungary

It's noteworthy that Russian disinformation websites News-pravda, News-front, and SputnikGlobe are still available to readers but receive only a tiny visibility in Hungary. We could verify that, despite EU sanctions, those outlets are still available online in Hungary. However, local pro-Russian and pro-Orbán websites, not Russian state media, exert most of the pro-Kremlin influence.

Unlike in other European countries, media outlets spreading overt Russian propaganda in Hungary hold a significantly larger share of the overall media market and attract a very high number of views. In contrast to other EU countries where we discovered and analyzed pro-Kremlin news websites, the spread of this propaganda aligns with pro-government propaganda in Hungary.

In the second part of this study, we will analyze the next six websites from the identified list. 

This research has been conducted by our experts in collaboration with the Insight News Media.