The Brutality of How Ukraine Is Detaining Military-Age Men

A man captured in Transcarpathia told Hungary’s M1 television channel that he intends to file a legal complaint, arguing that he is being detained unlawfully. According to the channel's Thursday broadcast, several local men of military age who have been detained say they are being confined in various barracks after being "caught" by military recruiters. Ukraine continues its forced conscription.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine (Photo: AFP)

Josip Babich, a man from Transcarpathia who was detained, said he was taken to the border guard barracks in Chop (Csap), where he has been held by force since June 28. He said he was brought there without his papers being checked in order to be mobilized. He has been denied contact with anyone and says his rights have been severely restricted. He added that he is being forced to serve in the Ukrainian military against his will, leaving him unable to look after his wife, who needs nursing care.

Ukraine is treating civilians brutally (Photo: AFP)

Ukraine is treating civilians brutally

Babich also said he never underwent a military medical examination, yet the online system falsely shows him as “fit for duty.” He believes his records have been falsified. Checkpoints operated by border guards and recruitment officers in Transcarpathia will remain in place for the foreseeable future, according to representatives of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, as stated in the broadcast.

Authorities say these checkpoints are necessary because many people are trying to flee the country illegally through Transcarpathia.

Viktor Mikita, deputy head of the President's Office and former governor of Transcarpathia, said, “we have to understand the realities,” pointing out that Transcarpathia borders several EU countries. He noted that many people are attempting to leave Ukraine, and border guards are required to perform their duties. Mikita added that they want to reduce the number of checkpoints but can only do so once the border is “110 percent monitored and protected.” He said this is what the border guards are currently working on.

According to M1, Ukraine has significantly reinforced its border with the EU in Transcarpathia over the past three years using drones, helicopters, and barbed wire. However, the number of men attempting to flee the country has not decreased. Many hide in trucks, cross the Tisza River by boat, or disguise themselves using tactical camouflage gear to make their way across the Carpathians in hopes of reaching safety within the European Union. This trend is unlikely to slow down, especially as Kyiv is expected to extend martial law and the accompanying military mobilization by another three months in the near future.

Ukrainian Recruiters Kill a Hungarian Man

The tragic death of 45-year-old ethnic Hungarian Jozsef S. from Transcarpathia has exposed the darkest side of Ukraine’s forced conscription. In June, plainclothes military recruiters abducted him in front of a café. Reports say he was taken to Uzhhorod, where he was brutally beaten, including with iron rods. He died weeks later in the hospital in Berehowe. Though authorities assured his family everything was fine, a video and statements shared by his brother revealed the horrifying extent of Jozsef’s suffering.

Cover photo: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: AFP)