Hungarian PM threatens to shoot down Russian drones breaching its airspace

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated that Hungarian forces will shoot down Russian drones if they appear in the country’s airspace.

Making the remarks on the podcast Harcosok Órája (Warriors’ Hour), the premier said Europe surpasses Russia in every dimension, Caliber.Az reports.

“We are stronger in every respect. I never understood why we speak as if we are weak. Russia is weak compared to us—militarily weak, economically weak, and numerically weak,” the Hungarian premier said.

He added that, if necessary, Hungary would shoot down Russian drones. At the same time, he criticised the position of several EU countries that claimed they were “under threat” because of UAVs.

In recent months, NATO countries have reported a sharp rise in Russian violations of their airspace, ranging from fighter jets to drones entering without clearance. Estonia most recently accused Moscow of sending MiG-31 aircraft into its airspace over the Gulf of Finland, prompting NATO fighters to intercept and escort them out. Poland, too, has faced repeated incursions by drones, some of which were shot down after crossing its borders. Similar breaches have been recorded in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Finland, often involving aircraft flying without transponders or communication with air traffic control, creating risks for civilian aviation and heightening regional tensions.

NATO officials and the governments concerned have condemned these actions as deliberate provocations, warning that such behavior threatens security across the alliance’s eastern flank. Several states, including Estonia, have summoned Russian diplomats and lodged formal protests, while NATO has pledged to strengthen its air policing missions and readiness along its borders.

By Khagan Isayev