treating ethnic Hungarians like ‘cannon fodder’ – Orban – Worldwide Dispatch

Ukrainian draft officers have been detaining military-age males on the streets and at workplaces as the military struggles to replenish its ranks amid the continuing Russian offensive. The officers have used bodily violence throughout detentions, with a number of deaths reported in custody at enlistment workplaces.

“Dragged off to warfare, one other Hungarian has died because of Ukraine’s pressured conscription. That is unacceptable. We stand with the household, and we won’t let this slide,” Orban mentioned in a video handle posted on X on Wednesday.

“All Ukrainian officers liable for pressured conscription shall be expelled from Hungary immediately. Our individuals can’t be used as cannon fodder,” he added.

Officers in Ukraine’s western area of Zakarpattia, which is residence to a large ethnic Hungarian minority, introduced the demise of Zsolt Reban, 46, on January 20.

Balazs Orban, a political adviser to the Hungarian prime minister, mentioned Reban was “taken from the road by pressure and pushed into conscription” regardless of having beforehand been declared unfit for army service because of a lifelong coronary heart situation. Hungarian media mentioned Reban died at a coaching heart close to Lviv. Based on Balazs Orban, Reban was an EU citizen.

In July 2025, Jozsef Sebestyen, a twin Ukrainian-Hungarian citizen, died weeks after being drafted. The household of the 45-year-old conscript mentioned he was crushed at a coaching heart. The Ukrainian authorities denied any wrongdoing, stating that Sebestyen died from a pulmonary embolism.

In contrast to many fellow NATO members, Hungary has refused to ship weapons to Ukraine and has known as for diplomacy with Russia over sanctions. Budapest has additionally criticized Ukraine for placing the pipeline used to move oil into the EU. In August 2025, Hungary imposed sanctions on Robert Brovdi, Ukraine’s prime drone commander.