How Independent Journalism Outlasted the Orbán Regime - VSquare.org Budapest is celebrating the fall of the Orbán regime. Preliminary data confirms a massive generational shift: for many, Orbán’s 16-year rule had spanned their entire adult lives.

💥 Budapest is celebrating the fall of the Orbán regime. Driven by a surge of young Hungarians—first on the streets, then at the ballot box—the message was a deafening “Russians, go home.”

Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Live Day to Day in Hungary - VSquare.org Four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Transcarpathian refugees are still scraping by in Hungary from one day to the next. In August 2024, the government withdrew housing support from those who, in its view, had not arrived from a “direct combat zone.”

Four years into Russia's war, hundreds of Transcarpathian refugee families — women, children, Roma, ethnic Hungarians — were left homeless in Hungary with a stroke of a pen. A court ruled it unlawful. The evictions had already happened.

Did Slovakia's Defense Ministry Bankroll Czechoslovak Group's Stock Market Debut? - VSquare.org Since Robert Fico's fourth government took office, the Ministry of Defense has signed contracts worth over €60 billion with the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Czech businessman Michal Strnad’s arms empire.

💰Since Robert Fico took office, Slovakia's Defense Ministry signed €60B+ in contracts with Czech arms tycoon Michal Strnad's Czechoslovak Group — possibly inflating its value ahead of the company's extremely successful stock market debut.

💥Days after Viktor Orbán lost reelection, Hungary's data protection authority is investigating Webloc — an Israeli tool that harvests mobile ad data for mass surveillance, likely violating GDPR. We exposed its use by Hungary on @vsquare.bsky.social with @citizenlab.ca: vsquare.org/goulash-with...

Orbán’s Spying Kit Revealed: Israeli Surveillance Tool Combined with Hungarian Technology - VSquare.org Intelligence agencies of Viktor Orbán's government have been secretly using Webloc — a mass surveillance tool that tracks hundreds of millions of people via smartphone advertising data — making Hungar...

👀 Intelligence agencies of Viktor Orbán’s government have been secretly using Webloc — a mass surveillance tool that tracks hundreds of millions of people via smartphone ad data — making Hungary the first confirmed EU country to deploy it, in likely violation of GDPR. @vsquare.bsky.social

Viktor Orbán built a ‘propaganda machine.’ Hungary’s next leader must dismantle it | CNN As many in Hungary celebrated the defeat of Viktor Orbán last weekend, others, who have consumed little but state media for the past decade, felt crippling fear.

“When you only consume this news, you don’t have an opportunity for a reality check – it is your reality,” Panyi said. “You can’t be angry at that 80-year-old grandmother, because that’s what she sees of the world through her TV and her newspapers. CNN

"Salt and Light, an informal network linked to the fugitive pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Shor, [...] framed the upcoming elections as a battle for faith, urging believers to vote for leaders who would “protect the church” and portraying any pro-Western stance as a threat to faith"

How the Kremlin Turned a MAGA Influencer Trip Into an Influence Operation - VSquare.org A report of Alliance4Europe and an investigation by Vsquare and Context.ro uncovered that a 10-day trip to Moldova and Moscow by a group of MAGA influencers from the US, Canada, and the UK was used in a Russian online info operation.

🔎INVESTIGATION: A 10-day Moldova–Moscow trip by MAGA influencers from the US, UK and Canada was leveraged in a Kremlin-linked influence operation named “Matushka”. No proof the influencers knowingly took part – but we uncovered their many ties to Russia.

Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Live Day to Day in Hungary - VSquare.org Four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Transcarpathian refugees are still scraping by in Hungary from one day to the next. In August 2024, the government withdrew housing support from those who, in its view, had not arrived from a “direct combat zone.”

Four years into Russia's war, hundreds of Transcarpathian refugee families — women, children, Roma, ethnic Hungarians — were left homeless in Hungary with a stroke of a pen. A court ruled it unlawful. The evictions had already happened.

Did Slovakia's Defense Ministry Bankroll Czechoslovak Group's Stock Market Debut? - VSquare.org Since Robert Fico's fourth government took office, the Ministry of Defense has signed contracts worth over €60 billion with the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Czech businessman Michal Strnad’s arms empire.

💰Since Robert Fico took office, Slovakia's Defense Ministry signed €60B+ in contracts with Czech arms tycoon Michal Strnad's Czechoslovak Group — possibly inflating its value ahead of the company's extremely successful stock market debut.

Russia’s War Beyond the Battlefield: Europe’s Hybrid Threat Wake-Up Call - VSquare.org The war has tested Ukraine’s resilience while exposing Europe’s lack of preparedness. It has revealed serious gaps in Europe’s awareness of hybrid threats and created new openings for Russian interference in politics and information far beyond Ukraine.

💥Ukrainian information integrity expert Mykola Balaban explains how Russia’s information warfare exposed deep gaps in Europe’s hybrid threat awareness, opening new channels for Kremlin interference in the EU's political systems and information ecosystems.

Kremlin Hotline: How Hungary Coordinates With Russia Blocking Ukraine From the EU - VSquare.org Péter Szijjártó offered Sergey Lavrov to send EU documents through the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow. Leaked audio reveals a strikingly deferential, submissive attitude from Szijjártó toward Lavrov.

💥New call leaks, both transcripts and audio: Sergey Lavrov urges Péter Szijjártó to blackmail the EU Council over Ukraine and later tasks him with sending him EU documents. Hard to tell which part is most damning. Here's the "Kremlin Hotline", part 2.

Kremlin Hotline: How Hungary Coordinates With Russia Blocking Ukraine From the EU - VSquare.org Péter Szijjártó offered Sergey Lavrov to send EU documents through the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow. Leaked audio reveals a strikingly deferential, submissive attitude from Szijjártó toward Lavrov.

💥 INVESTIGATION: Newly leaked audio and call transcripts show how Budapest weaponized Hungarian minority rights in Ukraine to stall EU accession talks. Viktor Orbán’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, was even tasked by Sergey Lavrov with sending EU documents. This and much more in our new story. 👇

Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Live Day to Day in Hungary - VSquare.org Four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Transcarpathian refugees are still scraping by in Hungary from one day to the next. In August 2024, the government withdrew housing support from those who, in its view, had not arrived from a “direct combat zone.”

Four years into Russia's war, hundreds of Transcarpathian refugee families — women, children, Roma, ethnic Hungarians — were left homeless in Hungary with a stroke of a pen. A court ruled it unlawful. The evictions had already happened.

Did Slovakia's Defense Ministry Bankroll Czechoslovak Group's Stock Market Debut? - VSquare.org Since Robert Fico's fourth government took office, the Ministry of Defense has signed contracts worth over €60 billion with the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Czech businessman Michal Strnad’s arms empire.

💰Since Robert Fico took office, Slovakia's Defense Ministry signed €60B+ in contracts with Czech arms tycoon Michal Strnad's Czechoslovak Group — possibly inflating its value ahead of the company's extremely successful stock market debut.

Kremlin Hotline: Hungary colluded with Russia to delist sanctioned oligarchs, companies and banks - VSquare.org The hotline between Péter Szijjártó and Sergey Lavrov provided Russia with strategic information on critical EU issues.

💥ICYMI: We have evidence that Orbán’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó acted on behalf of the Kremlin, making efforts to delist sanctioned Russians. He also talked about doing his best to repeal an EU sanctions package and offered to try to save Russian entities from sanctions. @vsquare.bsky.social

“Sinister” and “Unacceptable”: Europe Responds to the Kremlin Hotline Investigation - VSquare.org European and Ukrainian leaders respond to our joint report that Hungary’s foreign minister was doing his Russian counterpart’s bidding while the Hungarian government clings to claims of sovereignty.

💥Multiple legal and intelligence experts in Hungary have pointed out that Péter Szijjártó’s activities may be prosecutable under the Hungarian Penal Code’s provisions on espionage against European Union institutions on behalf of a third country.

A Russian Esoteric Sect Goes West—with a Putinist Running Its Hub in Poland - VSquare.org The Russian sect known as the Anastasians promotes an anti-democratic, patriarchal ideology. For several years, its colonies have been quietly emerging across Poland.

🔎🇷🇺 INVESTIGATION: Behind the façade of “ancestral estates” and back-to-nature living, a Russian sect aligned with Vladimir Putin is building networks across Europe. In Poland, its leader openly echoes Kremlin propaganda.

Russia’s War Beyond the Battlefield: Europe’s Hybrid Threat Wake-Up Call - VSquare.org The war has tested Ukraine’s resilience while exposing Europe’s lack of preparedness. It has revealed serious gaps in Europe’s awareness of hybrid threats and created new openings for Russian interference in politics and information far beyond Ukraine.

💥Ukrainian information integrity expert Mykola Balaban explains how Russia’s information warfare exposed deep gaps in Europe’s hybrid threat awareness, opening new channels for Kremlin interference in the EU's political systems and information ecosystems.

Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Live Day to Day in Hungary - VSquare.org Four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Transcarpathian refugees are still scraping by in Hungary from one day to the next. In August 2024, the government withdrew housing support from those who, in its view, had not arrived from a “direct combat zone.”

Four years into Russia's war, hundreds of Transcarpathian refugee families — women, children, Roma, ethnic Hungarians — were left homeless in Hungary with a stroke of a pen. A court ruled it unlawful. The evictions had already happened.

Kremlin Hotline: Hungary colluded with Russia to delist sanctioned oligarchs, companies and banks - VSquare.org The hotline between Péter Szijjártó and Sergey Lavrov provided Russia with strategic information on critical EU issues.

"Hello Sergey!" A consortium of investigative outlets obtained transcripts and audio of calls between Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó, Sergey Lavrov, and other Russian officials, showing how Hungary—and Slovakia—secretly act on the Kremlin’s behalf.

Kremlin Hotline: Hungary colluded with Russia to delist sanctioned oligarchs, companies and banks - VSquare.org The hotline between Péter Szijjártó and Sergey Lavrov provided Russia with strategic information on critical EU issues.

"Hello Sergey!" A consortium of investigative outlets obtained transcripts and audio of calls between Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó, Sergey Lavrov, and other Russian officials, showing how Hungary—and Slovakia—secretly act on the Kremlin’s behalf.

Did Slovakia's Defense Ministry Bankroll Czechoslovak Group's Stock Market Debut? - VSquare.org Since Robert Fico's fourth government took office, the Ministry of Defense has signed contracts worth over €60 billion with the Czechoslovak Group (CSG), Czech businessman Michal Strnad’s arms empire.

💰Since Robert Fico took office, Slovakia's Defense Ministry signed €60B+ in contracts with Czech arms tycoon Michal Strnad's Czechoslovak Group — possibly inflating its value ahead of the company's extremely successful stock market debut.

A Russian Esoteric Sect Goes West—with a Putinist Running Its Hub in Poland - VSquare.org The Russian sect known as the Anastasians promotes an anti-democratic, patriarchal ideology. For several years, its colonies have been quietly emerging across Poland.

🔎🇷🇺 INVESTIGATION: Behind the façade of “ancestral estates” and back-to-nature living, a Russian sect aligned with Vladimir Putin is building networks across Europe. In Poland, its leader openly echoes Kremlin propaganda.

Statement on Smear Campaign Against VSquare Journalist - VSquare.org The Orbán government is once again resorting to authoritarian tactics to target a journalist whose reporting exposes truths inconvenient to the regime.

The Orbán government is once again using authoritarian tactics to target our journalist Szabolcs Panyi, whose reporting exposes truths inconvenient to the regime.

"…And Most Importantly, Friend": Jeffrey Epstein's Encounters with Miroslav Lajčák - VSquare.org At least 25 personal meetings in the United States and Europe took place between Slovak diplomat and politician Miroslav Lajčák and Jeffrey Epstein.

⚡️The Epstein Files reveal intense, long-term contact, including at least 25 meetings between Slovak PM Robert Fico’s confidant and adviser Miroslav Lajčák and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein—some held at Epstein’s private homes.

Russia’s War Beyond the Battlefield: Europe’s Hybrid Threat Wake-Up Call - VSquare.org The war has tested Ukraine’s resilience while exposing Europe’s lack of preparedness. It has revealed serious gaps in Europe’s awareness of hybrid threats and created new openings for Russian interference in politics and information far beyond Ukraine.

💥Ukrainian information integrity expert Mykola Balaban explains how Russia’s information warfare exposed deep gaps in Europe’s hybrid threat awareness, opening new channels for Kremlin interference in the EU's political systems and information ecosystems.

How Ukraine's Major Corruption Scandal Reached Slovakia - VSquare.org An investigation into corruption at the Ukrainian state-owned company Energoatom reveals several links to Slovakia.

🔎⚡A sprawling Ukrainian corruption scandal spills into Slovakia: a $100M bribery and money-laundering scheme tied to state nuclear giant Energoatom reveals cross-border companies, assets, and financial trails—showing how dirty money quietly crossed borders.

Caught Between Belgrade, Bratislava, Budapest: Serbia’s Fractured Minorities - VSquare.org As protests continue to shake Serbia, minority Hungarian and Slovak communities in the country’s northern Vojvodina region describe growing political pressure, shrinking autonomy and a quiet exodus of youth.

💥Minority Hungarian and Slovak communities in Serbia’s northern Vojvodina region describe growing political pressure, shrinking autonomy and a quiet exodus of youth.

Thousands of Ukrainian Refugees Live Day to Day in Hungary - VSquare.org Four years after the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, thousands of Transcarpathian refugees are still scraping by in Hungary from one day to the next. In August 2024, the government withdrew housing support from those who, in its view, had not arrived from a “direct combat zone.”

Four years into Russia's war, hundreds of Transcarpathian refugee families — women, children, Roma, ethnic Hungarians — were left homeless in Hungary with a stroke of a pen. A court ruled it unlawful. The evictions had already happened.