Elections in Hungary a defeat for Russia’s info-war: NSDC declares Kremlin failure

The results of Hungary’s parliamentary elections prove that Russia is winning neither the information war in Europe nor its campaign against Ukraine.

This assessment was voiced by Andriy Kovalenko, Head of the Center for Countering Disinformation at the NSDC, in a Telegram post.

According to Kovalenko, despite the Kremlin’s decades-long attempts to manipulate the information space and its staggering financial expenditures, Moscow has failed to secure the desired outcome.

"This is yet another answer to all those claiming Russia is winning the information war. It is not winning—it is losing, both against Ukraine and against Europe," Kovalenko emphasized.

He further said that Russia pours billions of dollars annually into influence operations, campaigns that have been ongoing since the early 2000s.

In his view, the election results demonstrate the limited effectiveness of these efforts, even in EU countries where Russian influence was traditionally considered substantial.

Kovalenko added that the situation confirms one thing: despite vast resources, the Kremlin’s information strategy is failing on the European front.

Russia facing defeat after defeat in Europe

Over the past year, Russia has suffered a string of political and reputational blows across Eastern Europe, specifically in Romania, Moldova, and Hungary.

Meanwhile, according to Kovalenko’s assessment, the Kremlin has now pivoted its efforts toward Bulgaria. There, Moscow is attempting to ramp up its influence over the information space ahead of parliamentary elections also scheduled for April.

He noted that while the Balkans and the Black Sea region remain key targets for Russian information activity, the outcomes of recent electoral campaigns signal the waning impact of these efforts within the EU.