Members of Hungary’s Counter-terrorism Centre (TEK) special unit took part in a joint exercise today with the special counter-terrorism unit of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior (MUPRS). Photos shared by MUPRS on its official Facebook page show groups of special forces in dark uniforms standing beside a specialised vehicle.
The exercise coincided with the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first-instance verdict against Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, sentencing him to one year in prison and barring him from holding office for six years for failing to comply with decisions of the High Representative.
So far, only a part, i.e., a contingent of 40 Hungarian special forces officers, led by TEK Director János Hajdu—whom Hungarian media describe as a former personal bodyguard and trusted confidant of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—has entered Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The officers crossed into the country through multiple border points in the northeast, near Bijeljina, with more arrivals expected in the coming days. According to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Border Police and Ministry of Security, they entered as civilians, travelling in unmarked vehicles and without weapons, as reported to the Centre for Investigative Reporting. The training is set to run until March 9, by which time an additional 38 Hungarian special forces officers are expected to arrive.
In the reply, there was no mention the specialised vehicle visible in the photographs published by the RS Ministry of the Interior. According to Hungarian media reports, this high-tech, bulletproof vehicle, manufactured by the Swedish company Scania, serves as a compact command centre, providing a base for the team overseeing field operations. Hungary acquired it in early 2018 for 52.5 million Forints (approximately BAM 250,000). This price does not include the cost of additional equipment and technical devices housed in the vehicle’s trailer, such as surveillance tools and cameras.
Unlike similar past events, this police exercise was not announced in advance, catching the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina off guard with its timing. Notably, the exercise took place on the same day as Dodik’s verdict, just 20 hours after he personally announced the arrival of Hungarian special forces during an emergency session of the RS National Assembly.
“At the moment, I’m not sure if they have arrived yet, but as part of my agreement with Prime Minister Orban, we arranged for their 300-member counter-terrorism unit (…) to come to Republika Srpska and conduct joint training and exercises with Republika Srpska’s counter-terrorism unit”, said Dodik, who met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on February 17, 2025.
A Swift Entry Amid Confused Institutions
The Ministry of Security and the Border Police told CIN journalists that on February 24, 2025, the Hungarian Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina notified the BiH Border Police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 78 members of Hungary’s Ministry of the Interior would be entering the country to conduct counter-terrorism exercises at the RS Ministry of the Interior’s Training Centre from February 24 to March 9, 2025, as part of their cooperation with the RS Ministry of the Interior.
These planned exercises between Hungary’s special forces and the RS police were not mentioned in reports on Orban and Dodik’s meeting in Budapest.
The rapid sequence of events also caught the BiH Foreign Affairs Ministry off guard. Minister Elmedin Konaković told CIN journalists that the Ministry received two requests for the entry of special forces—on February 24 and 25—but did not have time to respond, i.e., to process them, or forward them to other relevant institutions.
“The first request stated that 78 police officers would be crossing the border unarmed based on an agreement with the RS Ministry of the Interior. Then, a follow-up note arrived, stating that they would, in fact, be bringing weapons”, Konaković said. He explained that the Ministry intended to review the requests, but before they could do so, TEK officers had already entered the country.
“Hence, the officers entered without obtaining the necessary permits from BiH authorities. According to our information—which we are still verifying—they crossed the border unarmed and in civilian clothing. So, they entered as civilians, but it is now the responsibility of the Border Police and the Intelligence-Security Agency to verify this and provide us with the necessary information”, Konaković said.
He added that entering the country with weapons without the proper permits and approvals would have been both scandalous and a serious issue.
The Hungarian Embassy in BiH declined to comment to CIN, stating that they had not received authorisation from Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to do so.
In 2018, Hungarian foreign intelligence agents assisted former North Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in evading arrest and fleeing to Hungary, where he was later granted asylum. In 2024, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sought refuge for two days at the Hungarian Embassy in Brazil, fearing arrest after his passport was confiscated. Later that year, former Polish Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Romanowski—facing 11 charges of corruption and abuse of office and wanted under a European Arrest Warrant—fled to Hungary and was granted asylum, according to Hungarian media outlet Vsquare.org.
The Counter Terrorism Centre (TEK) is a specialised agency operating under the direct authority of Hungary’s Ministry of the Interior. Established by the Hungarian government in 2010, TEK was created to consolidate the counter-terrorism responsibilities of law enforcement and civilian intelligence services into a single organisation. It operates through three directorates tasked with preventing and detecting terrorist activities in Hungary, apprehending those responsible, and protecting the prime minister, government ministers, and the attorney general. Under its founding law, TEK is not authorised to conduct operations abroad unless they serve a direct Hungarian interest.
