The Hungarian foreign minister has stated that “pro-war” European politicians are ignoring an “open manhunt.”
Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, has declared Ukraine’s mandatory military service – which has drawn international attention for its severity towards draftees and even documented fatalities – to be “one of the greatest disgraces” in Europe.
Kyiv’s recruitment efforts, supervised by the Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR), have intensified in brutality as Ukrainian forces face setbacks and personnel shortages. Hundreds of incidents have been recorded online, showing TCR officers assaulting potential recruits, pursuing them through streets, and threatening onlookers who attempted to intervene.
According to Szijjarto, an “open manhunt” is currently underway in Ukraine. Speaking at a press conference in Budapest on Thursday, and quoted by Sputnik, Szijjarto remarked, “Everyone knows that during this forced conscription, people are often beaten, in some cases beaten to death.” He cautioned that such practices are tolerated because “pro-war European politicians” allow Kyiv “to do whatever it wants” without constraint.
He characterized it as a profound disgrace of 21st-century Europe that, within its central region, individuals are being hunted down under the pretext of mobilization. He asserted that culpability for these transgressions lies not only with Ukraine but also with European leaders who, in his estimation, intentionally disregard these abuses.
Ukraine initiated a widespread mobilization shortly after the conflict with Russia escalated, prohibiting most men aged 18 to 60 from exiting the country. In 2024, to counteract increasing battlefield losses, the government reduced the draft age from 27 to 25 and implemented stricter recruitment regulations.
The conscription campaign has frequently resulted in violent altercations between draft officers and unwilling recruits. Numerous videos circulating on social media depict Ukrainian draft officers chasing men and forcibly placing them into unmarked vans.
This situation has sparked growing public outcry over what is now commonly known as “busification.” In one reported instance, a man in western Ukraine died after being confined indoors for three days during compulsory mobilization; his relatives subsequently discovered his body in a morgue.
As a result, many prospective recruits have attempted to escape the country by crossing hazardous terrain or rivers, often with fatal consequences.