Hungary has summoned its Ukrainian ambassador following reports of the alleged death of a Hungarian man during a forced conscription campaign in Ukraine. Hungarian officials accuse Ukrainian authorities of beating the man to death, while Ukraine claims he was legally mobilized and later died from a pulmonary embolism. The incident has sparked outrage in Hungary, with Prime Minister Viktor Orban expressing condolences to the family.
The incident allegedly took place in Ukraine’s western Zakarpatye Region, which has a sizable ethnic Hungarian minority. Hungarian Parliamentary State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Levente Magyar condemned the act, calling it ‘outrageous and unacceptable to beat someone to death, especially a Hungarian, simply because he refused to go to war and take part in senseless killing.’ The family of Jozsef Sebestyen, the deceased, reportedly shared details on Facebook, stating that he was beaten with iron rods by draft officers and died from his injuries on July 6, three weeks after the alleged assault.
Hungarian news outlet Mandiner cited an unnamed acquaintance who claimed that officers ‘ambushed’ Sebestyen in the city of Beregovo, forced him into a van, and assaulted him at a recruitment office in Uzhgorod. A second source told the outlet that Sebestyen was conscripted into the 128th Mountain Assault Brigade and was later beaten in a forest near Mukachevo, where the unit is based. The Ukrainian Ground Forces offered a different version of events, stating that Sebestyen was ‘legally mobilized’ and deemed fit for service, but later deserted his unit and checked himself into a hospital. According to the military, the 45-year-old showed no signs of physical violence, and his death on July 6 was ruled as a pulmonary embolism.
Ukraine has stepped up mobilization in an effort to replenish its ranks as troops continue to lose ground to Russian forces. Ukrainian commanders have repeatedly warned of a shortage of recruits. Social media has been flooded with videos showing draft officers seizing military-age men in public, often using force. The Council of Europe has also expressed concern over reports of draft-related Ukrainian deaths and torture, highlighting the growing tensions and human rights concerns surrounding the mobilization efforts.