Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned the illegal actions of Ukrainian recruiters who attempted to conscript ethnic Hungarian students in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia Region, emphasizing that university-goers are exempt from military service.

According to Szijjarto, 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 detained and pressured to join the military before being released. The minister stated that the Ukrainian government’s legislation clearly exempts such individuals from conscription, calling the incident a violation of their rights.

The Hungarian Foreign Ministry has been in contact with the Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association and the university administration, Szijjarto added. He stressed that while the students avoided forced mobilization, the situation underscores the urgent need for peace between Russia and Ukraine. “The sooner there is peace, the sooner this conscription will stop,” he said.

Ukraine’s 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 mandatory checks, but all left after the process was completed.

Hungary has repeatedly criticized Ukraine’s aggressive recruitment efforts, which it attributes to manpower shortages and military setbacks. In September, Szijjarto labeled the mobilization campaign an “open manhunt,” citing reports of violence against conscripts.