Moscow says it will have a ‘tough and painful’ response to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 diplomats
We get a little more information about Russia’s response to Hungary, and it’s clear that Moscow is not happy.
The Foreign Office said it would accept a “tough and painful” response, AFP reported.
“The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be tough and painful.» representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova This was reported by the state news agency TASS.
Key events
Ukraine can purchase parts for the Patriot air defense system using an EU loan, von der Leyen said
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said Ukraine will be able to buy critical parts for the Patriot air defense systems with another €3.2bn (£2.7bn; $3.7bn) EU support loan.
“Together with NATO Secretary General Rutte, I welcome the agreement by member states to derogate from Ukraine on procurement of critical products for the Patriot air defense systems,” she said in a statement.
Ukraine relies heavily on advanced air defense systems, mainly US Patriot interceptors, to protect its skies from Russian ballistic missile attacks. But stocks of Patriot missiles ran low this year, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to strikes.
After a brutal summer of deadly Russian missile and drone attacks, Ukraine last week requested an exemption from Buy European procurement rules to buy US Patriot interceptors using a €90 billion EU support loan.
Ukraine is asking Western allies to provide air defense equipment amid fears that Russia will dramatically increase its missile strikes this winter. My colleagues Jamie Grierson and Dan Sabbagh wrote an article that the UK had pledged £100 million to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense against expected attacks. We’ve already mentioned bail in this post, but their story goes into more detail. Here’s an excerpt:
Air defense interceptors, as well as large-caliber artillery shells and other drones, will be supplied to Ukraine through a contribution to a NATO scheme to purchase American weapons.
Ukraine is currently unable to prevent Russian ballistic missile attacks due to a shortage of Patriot interceptors, leading to attacks that killed civilians and destroyed food and logistics warehouses over the summer.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he wants 300 Patriot missiles, worth about $3 million (£2.6 million) each, to help Kyiv protect its electricity, heating and water systems during the usually harsh winter.
Britain has not said how many Patriots it will be able to buy, but the number is likely to be just a fraction of the number it wants, although other Western allies are also exploring how they can help Kyiv defend itself.
A 40-year-old Russian was questioned in connection with accusations of sabotage against Romania.
Romanian prosecutors are questioning a 40-year-old Russian man suspected of involvement in the operation on Tuesday. This is stated in a statement by the Office for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism of Romania.
Authorities seeking court permission to detain him for 30 days An investigation is pending into his encrypted communications, which reportedly included photographs of several Romanian and multinational military bases.
Romanian intelligence said it foiled a Russian sabotage operation targeting defenses and critical infrastructure
The Romanian intelligence service said it “prevented the commission of sabotage on national territory” that involved a Russian citizen in Romania, as well as a number of defense sites and critical infrastructure.
In the statement The research institute service reported that the Russian, who was being followed as part of an extensive investigation, tried to make photo and video documentation “certain communications centers and national military bases used by NATO allies,” as well as other defense establishments and critical infrastructure.
“The data obtained indicate a similar scheme of actions used on the territory of European states by networks of saboteurs coordinated by the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, including in cases stopped in Romania in 2024 and 2025: a Russian citizen was instructed by an intermediary to take photo and video materials with objects of strategic military interest, including the Ukrainian Antonov cargo aircraft, during their stay on national territory.”
It added that “specific actions taken by the research institute, as well as measures taken jointly with the Romanian authorities and external partners, led to the prevention of an act of sabotage on national territory.”
The service did not provide further details on whether any arrests had been made.
Dutch foreign minister calls for ‘responsibility, reconciliation and education’ after funeral of Serbian ‘hero’ Mladic
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen also joined calls for “accountability, reconciliation and learning from the past,” criticizing Serbia for holding a “heroic” funeral for Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic. (12:48).
In his statement, Berendsen said:
“Ratko Mladic was found guilty of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The honor shown to him by the state in Belgrade is incompatible with European values. and deeply hurts the victims and their families.
The Netherlands supports voices in Serbia and throughout the region calling for accountability, reconciliation and education about the past.”
German police detained a suspect in electrical sabotage
Elsewhere we receive a message from Germany that the German police have detained a person suspected of committing a series of sabotages on the country’s electrical grid, This was reported by local media and Reuters.
The suspect, identified by German media as Daniel W., was detained in Weisweiler, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Cologne, where he allegedly carried out one of his attempted attacks, Reuters reported.
German police have been searching for the 48-year-old man since receiving letters claiming responsibility for a series of sabotage attacks on the power grid, which the suspect cited as a motive against opposition to fossil fuels.
German news agency DPA reported that “the suspect’s motive was reportedly climate-related, as the letters criticized electricity generation from fossil fuels.”
The EU supported Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats
Separately, The commission was also asked about Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats this morning.
Representative of the Foreign Affairs Commission Christian Wigand said:
“We take note of the lawful decision of Hungary.
This expected reaction [given] Russia’s persistent campaign to use hybrid attacks against the EU and its member states.
The European Union expresses its full solidarity with Hungary and reaffirms its support for the diplomatic and consular activities of all Member States, carried out in accordance with international law.
The European Union will continue to work closely with Hungary and other Member States and remains committed to protecting the interests and rights of EU citizens.”
Bosnia withdraws diplomatic staff from Serbia to protest funeral of ‘hero’ Mladic
It is worth noting that Yesterday, Bosnia and Herzegovina withdrew all staff from its embassy in Belgrade and transferred consular services to its embassies in Zagreb and Podgorica. in protest against the funeral of “hero” Mladic in Belgrade.
The ministry stated this move was intended to “reduce communication with Serbia to the lowest possible level.” while simultaneously intensifying dialogue on the situation with the EU, US and UK.
It’s also probably safe to say that Bosnia’s Foreign Ministry was not impressed by the commission’s soft stance yesterday.
Answering questions from reporters yesterday, EU chief spokeswoman Paula Pinho insisted there was “no place for glorifying war criminals” but did not actually ask repeated questions about apparent state and military honors.
In an afternoon message addressed to Pinho, the ministry wrote: “Are you even aware of what you are saying?”
He continued:
“Five Serbian government ministers sat front row at the funeral, the convicted war criminal was given military honors and his body was flown on a Serbian government plane.
What are you afraid of? Why don’t you want to call it what it is?
Your position on the funeral of a convicted war criminal is a disgrace to the entire European Union!”
It’s hard not to see a connection between their furious reaction and von der Leyen’s hasty announcement this morning. and Pinho’s noticeably different tone at this afternoon’s briefing.
The EU is “considering” its response to the funeral of Serbian “hero” Mladic
No wonder, questioning the EU’s confusing response to yesterday’s “heroic” funeral for Bosnian Serb war criminal Ratko Mladic rises again during today’s midday briefing by the European Commission.
This was reported by a commission representative the commission “studyed” any potential consequences for Serbia.
She also criticism of commission president von der Leyen repeated this morning (9:41), saying the images from the funeral were “shocking” and “speak for themselves”.
“They demonstrate failure to confront a dark chapter in Europe’s recent history and are contrary to the values underlying Serbia’s path to the European Union,” Paula Pinho said.
She declined to say whether von der Leyen would visit Belgrade on his annual trip to the western Balkans, stressing that the program was still being worked on.
Moscow says it will have a ‘tough and painful’ response to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 diplomats
We get a little more information about Russia’s response to Hungary, and it’s clear that Moscow is not happy.
The Foreign Office said it would accept a “tough and painful” response, AFP reported.
“The response to the Russophobic lobby in Budapest will be tough and painful.» representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova This was reported by the state news agency TASS.
Russia will react to Hungary’s decision to expel 10 Russian diplomats
Meanwhile, The Russian Foreign Ministry told RIA Novosti that it will respond to Hungary’s decision to expel ten Russians spies diplomats from Budapest (11:09).