In response to an intercontinental ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, Hungary will deploy air defense systems on the border with Ukraine, according to Hungarian Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
“The risk of the Russian-Ukrainian war escalating is greater than ever before,” said Szalay-Bobrovniczky. “However, the government is preparing for all eventualities, which is why it is installing an air defense system in the northeastern part of the country.”
Szalay-Bobrovniczky made the remarks after a meeting of the Defense Council convened by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said that Budapest still hopes to quickly achieve peace in Ukraine through diplomatic means, but has decided to secure its territory by deploying air defense assets.
“Thanks to these tools, we can improve threat detection and shorten the time needed to react. Currently, individual units of the Hungarian army are on the highest alert,” said the minister.
What air defense systems will Hungary deploy on the border with Ukraine?
Hungary’s defense minister did not specify exactly what air defense systems would be deployed in the northeastern part of the country, which borders Ukraine. Last year, Hungary acquired Mistral portable air defense systems from France and was set to buy NASAMS systems in 2020.
Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized the United States and some NATO allies for allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles against Russia, expressing fears that the conflict would now escalate to the level of a world war.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold for using nuclear weapons after U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration gave Ukraine permission to fire American long-range ATACMS missiles into Russia. That same day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces used them for the first time to destroy a Russian military arsenal in the Bryansk region, a move Moscow saw as a major escalation.
