Ukraine makes strongest accusations against Hungary yet

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman says that the Transcarpathian prisoners of war who were transferred to Hungary are not free in the country.

Ukrainian POWs transported to Hungary

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko has issued a statement calling on the Hungarian government to grant access to Ukrainian prisoners of war who were handed over to Hungary by the Russian Orthodox Church a week and a half ago. You can read our detailed article on this matter HERE.

Since then, there have been several reactions to the case from the Kyiv leadership, as well as from several political and military experts. Several have made serious accusations against the Hungarian government, as we wrote HERE.

Strongest call from Ukraine yet

In a recent statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson has issued a stronger call than ever to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Index reports. He stated that “the Hungarian government falsely claims that the Ukrainian soldiers are free in Hungary”.

In the statement, Oleg Nikolenko outlined that the competent Ukrainian government bodies have been working ever since then to “return home the 11 prisoners of war who were taken from Russia to Hungary without the knowledge of the Ukrainian government or international human rights organisations”.

“Ukrainian diplomats have repeatedly tried to contact Ukrainian citizens directly, without success. From this, as well as from information received from their relatives, we can conclude that the assurances given by the Hungarian government that they would be free in Hungary are not true,”

Nikolenko said in the statement.

Isolated, no access to information?

“The reality is that they are isolated, they have no open access to information, they can only communicate with their relatives in the presence of a third party, and they are not allowed to contact the Ukrainian embassy. And the Ukrainian side is trying in vain to engage in constructive dialogue with the Hungarian authorities through official diplomatic channels, this is being ignored,” the spokesperson said.

He added that “these actions by Budapest call into question the humanitarian objectives with which Hungary has justified the transfer of Ukrainian citizens. Moreover, they may also violate the provisions of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms”.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine once again calls on the Hungarian side and demands that the Ukrainian consul be granted immediate access to the Ukrainian prisoners of war to assess their physical and psychological condition, to inform them of their rights and to provide immediate consular assistance.”

Oleh Nikolenko concluded the statement, which was also shared on Facebook, by saying that Ukraine will do its utmost to ensure that its captured soldiers can return home and receive all the assistance they need to reunite with their families.

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