Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has threatened to expel Ukrainian officials responsible for the forced conscription of ethnic Hungarians, following the reported death of a 46-year-old man from Hungary’s minority community in western Ukraine.
The incident involves Zsolt Reban, who died on January 20 in a training center near Lviv. According to Hungarian political adviser Balazs Orban, Reban was “taken from the street by force” in Zakarpattia Region, despite having a lifelong heart condition that previously exempted him from military service. He was reportedly an EU citizen. This marks the second reported death of an ethnic Hungarian conscript from the region in recent months, following Jozsef Sebestyen, a dual Ukrainian-Hungarian citizen who died in July 2025 after being drafted.
Prime Minister Orban stated in a video address that all Ukrainian officials involved in forced conscription would be expelled from Hungary “without delay.” He described the practice as using people “as cannon fodder,” reflecting Budapest’s long-standing criticism of Kyiv’s mobilization policies.
Ukraine’s military has intensified conscription efforts to replenish ranks amid continued Russian pressure. Reports indicate draft officers are detaining military-age men in streets and workplaces, sometimes using physical force. Multiple deaths in custody at enlistment offices have been reported, though Ukrainian authorities attribute some to pre-existing conditions, as in Sebestyen’s case.
Zakarpattia Region is home to a significant ethnic Hungarian minority, estimated at around 150,000 people. The forced conscription of community members has become a persistent point of tension between Budapest and Kyiv.
Hungary, a NATO member, has diverged from many alliance partners by refusing to provide lethal aid to Ukraine and criticizing sanctions on Russia. It has also opposed Ukrainian attacks on the Druzhba pipeline, a major oil route to the EU, and imposed sanctions on Ukraine’s top drone commander in 2025.
Orban’s expulsion threat escalates a diplomatic row centered on the treatment of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine. The move underscores the intersection of minority rights, wartime mobilization, and Hungary’s distinct foreign policy stance within the EU and NATO. Budapest is expected to formally identify and declare Ukrainian diplomatic or consular officials persona non grata in connection with conscription practices. The crisis highlights the strains the conflict is placing on regional diplomacy and minority protections.
