Kiev, Ukraine - Ukraine's main security agency said on Friday it arrested two people on suspicion of spy Hungary for gathering intelligence in Ukrainian troops in the western part of the country.

Both suspects, both former members of the Ukrainian army, were detained and faced charges of treason, which could be punished with life imprisonment, the Ukrainian Security Agency (SBU) said in a statement. The statement said that this was the first time in Ukrainian history that Hungary was discovered.

The alleged spy activities are concentrated in the western Ukraine region of Zakapati, which borders Hungary and is home to the Hungarian minority. Budapest and Kief fought for the rights of the Hungarians in Zakarpattia until the end of World War I.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó did not directly deny allegations of Hungarian spy cells operated by Ukraine, but suggested that the SBU's claim could be classified as "anti-Hengaria propaganda."

"I urge everyone to be cautious about any news that appears in Ukrainian propaganda," Szijjártó said in a press conference on Friday. "If we get any details or official information, then we can handle it."

Since Russia's full invasion in 2022, Hungary, a member of NATO and the EU, has taken an adversarial approach to Ukraine, refusing to provide weapons to Kiev or allowing it to transfer on Hungarian territory.

The Hungarian government, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, also threatened to financial aid to the EU to Ukraine, oppose sanctions against Russia and oppose Ukraine's ultimate membership in the EU.

Orbán is widely regarded as the warmest relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin among EU leaders, despite his acknowledging that the war was the result of Russian aggression.

The two suspicious spies were supervised by professional officials in Hungarian military intelligence and their identities have also been established, SBU said. The SBU said the official provided cash and a special device to support the action and tried to recruit others into the network.

The Hungarian Ministry of Defense and the Military National Security Agency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Spike reports from Budapest, Hungary.