The Ukrainian army has spoken out about the death of Hungarian József S. from Transcarpathia. According to the official statement, the man was legally mobilized, was not abused, and died of natural causes, a pulmonary embolism. The Ukrainian army firmly rejects all allegations of violence, according to Magyar Nemzet.
The Land Command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces expressed their condolences to the family of József S., but at the same time called it necessary to make public the “already verified” official information.
According to the Ukrainian army, József S., who is referred to as a Ukrainian citizen in the statement, was legally mobilized on June 14, declared healthy, and began training on June 15.
According to the statement, he left the unit arbitrarily and unarmed on June 18, which was also recorded by the internal investigation. Later, on June 24, he presented himself at the emergency department of the Beregszás hospital, where he was admitted with an acute stress reaction and transferred to the psychiatric ward. According to the medical records, no physical injuries were found on him.
The army emphasizes that the cause of death, according to the forensic medical expert report, was pulmonary embolism, and that no signs of violence were found. The statement categorically denies forced mobilization, abuse, or any human rights violations.
“We call on the media, the public and representatives of foreign governments to refrain from disseminating unconfirmed or emotionally overheated information that could be suitable for the destructive influence or information operations of a hostile state,” the statement reads.
“The Ukrainian Armed Forces respect the rights of all citizens, strictly observe applicable laws, and do everything in their power to preserve human life and dignity – even in the extremely difficult conditions of war,” it concludes.
However, media in Hungary have reported another version of events based on the deceased’s own documentation, obtained by the Mandiner news portal, before he died.
József S. wrote: “On Saturday, I was detained by police officers in Beregszász and taken to the Beregszász Military Auxiliary and Social Support Center (RTCK and SZT). On Monday, without signing anything or registering as a conscript, I was transferred to the Munkács RTCK and SZT.
“They took me to a forest with many other people and started beating me there. The blows were mainly aimed at the head and body. They said that if I didn’t sign something, they would take me to ‘zero’. It hurt a lot, I couldn’t move. Some soldiers threw me in the mud so I could sleep there. The next morning, they took me to the gate and said: ‘Go home’. I walked home to Beregszás. I don’t know why, but I ended up in a psychiatric hospital, where they called the police.”
József S. also said he took photos of his injuries to report the abuse, but the Munkács RTCK and SZT officers took his phone, which he had not received back by the time he wrote the statement. He also said the beating in the forest occurred at night, so he could not actually see who was attacking him nor what they were wearing.
“During the medical treatment, I feel worse every day, it is difficult to move, I have practically no appetite. I am afraid of what will happen if they send me back to those who “will finish what they started,” he concluded his statement.
Hungary has summoned Ukraine’s ambassador to Budapest over the incident, with multiple members of the government expressing their outrage over beating someone to death because they did not want to go to war.
This is far from the first time Ukraine’s conscription tactics have made headlines; however, it is the first report of someone dying because of them.
Since the start of the war, reports have flowed in over Kyiv’s brutal methods to get cannon fodder for their front lines, to the point that young Ukrainians were too afraid to leave their homes.
“Many conscripted men are taken straight off the street by uniformed men,” an article in Magyar Nemzet reported back in 2023. “Most recently in Subcarpathia, a surveillance camera recorded the overreach of the authorities as a man trying to go to a store was kidnapped from his bicycle in broad daylight.”
“Why don’t young people want to be drafted into the army? Because they know the price of holding the frontlines. It costs thousands of lives,” said one young Ukrainian.
Forced conscription has been an issue for both ethnic Ukrainians and minority groups living in Ukraine, although many believe Hungarians have been targeted in the Transcarpathia region.
Corruption has also been rife, with authorities taking thousands of euros per head from those looking to not be forced to the front.
In one case, $6 million of cash was found in the home of an official accused of selling medical exemptions to those looking for a way out of the war.
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