Hungary wants to prosecute its citizen for fighting Russia in Ukraine's army
Illustrative photo: Hungary wants to prosecute a man for serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Getty Images)
The prosecutor's office of Hungary's Csongrád region has charged a local resident who is participating in the Russian-Ukrainian war as part of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Telex reports.
According to the indictment, in the spring of 2024, the man voluntarily decided to join the Armed Forces of Ukraine in order to take part in combat against Russian troops.
He later traveled to Ukraine, where, after several days of training, he was enrolled in a battalion engaged in armed clashes. He also carried out reconnaissance and combat missions.
In Hungary, the prosecution accuses the man, who is currently wanted, of "unlawful recruitment by joining an armed organization that is not part of the armed forces of an allied state, with the purpose of participating in armed clashes."
The prosecution is asking the court to review the case and issue a verdict in absentia, as the Hungarian man's whereabouts are currently unknown.
Espionage scandal
In May of this year, the Security Service of Ukraine reported that it had uncovered an espionage network of Hungary's military intelligence operating in Zakarpattia. The network included a former Ukrainian serviceman and a former female soldier.
The spies' task was to gather information on the military defenses of the Zakarpattia region, identify weak points in ground and air defense, and gauge the sentiments of local residents, particularly in a scenario where Hungarian troops might enter the region.
Hungary accused Ukraine of propaganda and later expelled two Ukrainian diplomats.
Around the same time, a former Ukrainian diplomat was harshly detained in Budapest on suspicion of alleged espionage. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the incident a "witch hunt" and urged the Hungarian authorities to end their anti-Ukrainian hysteria.
