diff --git a/build/components/versions.yml b/build/components/versions.yml
index 924d187567..1a7135eede 100644
--- a/build/components/versions.yml
+++ b/build/components/versions.yml
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ firmware:
   libvirt: v10.9.0
   edk2: stable202411
 core:
-  3p-kubevirt: v1.6.2-v12n.17
+  3p-kubevirt: v1.6.2-v12n.18
   3p-containerized-data-importer: v1.60.3-v12n.16
   distribution: 2.8.3
 package:
diff --git a/test/e2e/vm/hotplug_pod.go b/test/e2e/vm/hotplug_pod.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3663f53923
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/e2e/vm/hotplug_pod.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2026 Flant JSC
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+package vm
+
+import (
+	"context"
+
+	. "github.com/onsi/ginkgo/v2"
+	. "github.com/onsi/gomega"
+	policyv1 "k8s.io/api/policy/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/api/resource"
+	metav1 "k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/apis/meta/v1"
+	"k8s.io/apimachinery/pkg/labels"
+	"k8s.io/utils/ptr"
+	crclient "sigs.k8s.io/controller-runtime/pkg/client"
+
+	vmbuilder "github.com/deckhouse/virtualization-controller/pkg/builder/vm"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization/api/core/v1alpha2"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization/test/e2e/internal/framework"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization/test/e2e/internal/object"
+	"github.com/deckhouse/virtualization/test/e2e/internal/util"
+)
+
+var _ = Describe("HotplugPod", func() {
+	var (
+		f  = framework.NewFramework("hotplug-pod")
+		vi *v1alpha2.VirtualImage
+	)
+
+	BeforeEach(func() {
+		f.Before()
+		DeferCleanup(f.After)
+
+		newVI := object.NewGeneratedHTTPVIAlpineBIOSPerf("hotplug-pod-", f.Namespace().Name)
+		newVI, err := f.VirtClient().VirtualImages(f.Namespace().Name).Create(context.Background(), newVI, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+		Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+		f.DeferDelete(newVI)
+		vi = newVI
+	})
+
+	It("Should protect hotplug pod", func() {
+		var (
+			vm    *v1alpha2.VirtualMachine
+			blank *v1alpha2.VirtualDisk
+		)
+		By("Create VM", func() {
+			root := object.NewVDFromVI("root", f.Namespace().Name, vi)
+			blank = object.NewBlankVD("blank", f.Namespace().Name, nil, ptr.To(resource.MustParse("100Mi")))
+			Expect(f.CreateWithDeferredDeletion(context.Background(), root, blank)).To(Succeed())
+
+			var err error
+			vm = object.NewMinimalVM("hotplug-pod-", f.Namespace().Name, vmbuilder.WithDisks(root))
+			vm, err = f.VirtClient().VirtualMachines(f.Namespace().Name).Create(context.Background(), vm, metav1.CreateOptions{})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			f.DeferDelete(vm)
+		})
+
+		By("Wait until VM agent is ready", func() {
+			util.UntilVMAgentReady(crclient.ObjectKeyFromObject(vm), framework.LongTimeout)
+		})
+
+		By("Attaching disk", func() {
+			vmbda := object.NewVMBDAFromDisk(vm.Name, vm.Name, blank)
+			Expect(f.CreateWithDeferredDeletion(context.Background(), vmbda)).To(Succeed())
+			util.UntilObjectPhase(string(v1alpha2.BlockDeviceAttachmentPhaseAttached), framework.MiddleTimeout, vmbda)
+		})
+
+		By("Evict hp pod", func() {
+			pods, err := f.KubeClient().CoreV1().Pods(f.Namespace().Name).List(context.Background(), metav1.ListOptions{
+				LabelSelector: labels.SelectorFromSet(map[string]string{
+					"kubevirt.internal.virtualization.deckhouse.io": "d8v-hotplug-disk",
+				}).String(),
+			})
+			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(pods.Items).To(HaveLen(1))
+
+			pod := pods.Items[0]
+
+			err = f.KubeClient().CoreV1().Pods(pod.GetNamespace()).EvictV1(context.Background(), &policyv1.Eviction{
+				ObjectMeta: metav1.ObjectMeta{
+					Name:      pod.GetName(),
+					Namespace: pod.GetNamespace(),
+				},
+			})
+			Expect(err).To(HaveOccurred())
+			Expect(err.Error()).To(ContainSubstring("cannot evict hotplug pod"))
+		})
+	})
+})