Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accused Ukrainian authorities of fatally beating a man holding both Hungarian and Ukrainian citizenship during a forced military mobilization — an allegation that has been swiftly denied by Kyiv, further straining the already tense relationship between the two neighboring countries.
Speaking on state radio on Friday, Orbán claimed the individual, who reportedly died in a Ukrainian hospital earlier this month, was “beaten to death” by military recruiters. However, he did not present any evidence to support the claim, noting only that the matter was still under investigation.
The comments come just a day after Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ukrainian ambassador over the incident. According to the ministry, the man was allegedly subjected to physical abuse by army recruiters during a “forced conscription process” and later taken to a recruitment center.
Ukrainian authorities, however, rejected Hungary’s version of events. They confirmed that the man was a Ukrainian citizen who had left his military unit without authorization and subsequently checked himself into a hospital, where no signs of physical trauma or violence were recorded.
In a statement, Ukraine’s embassy in Budapest said that a pulmonary embolism was determined to be the cause of death.
The diplomatic rift adds to a series of recent disputes between Hungary — a NATO and EU member — and Ukraine. Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022, Hungary under Prime Minister Orbán has charted a divergent path from most EU nations, opposing weapons shipments to Ukraine and calling for the easing of sanctions against Moscow.
As tensions rise, both governments are now under pressure to clarify the circumstances surrounding the man’s death, with the international community closely watching developments in what could become another flashpoint in regional diplomacy.
