Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service considered staging an assassination attempt on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to influence the results of the country's parliamentary elections. This is reported by The Washington Post, according to UNN.
Details
According to the publication, the idea was discussed in one of the units of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), which deals with political influence operations. In an internal document obtained by European intelligence, the proposal was called "Gamechanger."
It was about staging an assassination attempt on Orbán to radically change the course of the election campaign.
Such an incident will shift the perception of the campaign from the rational plane of socio-economic issues to an emotional one, where the key themes will be state security and the stability of the political system.
As The Washington Post notes, there have been no real attacks on Orbán so far. At the same time, the very appearance of such an idea indicates the importance of the elections in Hungary for Moscow.
The article also emphasizes that Orbán's positions have weakened due to economic problems. According to polls, he is losing to his main opponent - Péter Magyar.
The Russian document states that more than half of Hungary's population is dissatisfied with the situation in the country, even in regions traditionally loyal to the government.
The Washington Post adds that the Kremlin views Hungary as an important point of influence within NATO and the European Union due to Orbán's friendly relations with Russia.