Orbán condemns use of ethnic Hungarians as “cannon fodder" in Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has strongly condemned the forced mobilisation of ethnic Hungarians from Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region into the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Writing on X, PM noted that another ethnic Hungarian has been killed at the front as a result of forced conscription in Ukraine, calling the incident unacceptable and vowing that Budapest would not leave it without consequences, Caliber.Az reports.

He warned that Ukrainian officials in charge of forced mobilisation would be promptly expelled from Hungary.

Dragged off to war, another Hungarian has died due to Ukraine’s forced conscription. This is unacceptable. We stand with the family, and we will not let this slide. All Ukrainian officials responsible for forced conscription will be expelled from Hungary without delay. Our people… pic.twitter.com/N2m1ZwxtTb

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) February 4, 2026

“We stand with the family, and we will not let this slide. All Ukrainian officials responsible for forced conscription will be expelled from Hungary without delay. Our people cannot be used as cannon fodder,” Orbán said.

On February 4, Orbán announced that individuals responsible for forced mobilisation in Ukraine had been banned from entering Hungary following the tragedy involving an ethnic Hungarian from Transcarpathia.

Earlier, on January 31, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Péter Szijjártó, said that the ethnic Hungarian had become a victim of forced mobilisation by Ukrainian authorities and was sent to the front despite suffering from heart disease and having repeatedly been declared unfit for military service. 

By Jeyhun Aghazada