Video: Former Hungarian politician fled Ukraine by smashing through the border barrier

A former Hungarian politician from Ukraine, now working as a lawyer, made a dramatic escape to Hungary by smashing through a border barrier and knocking down a border guard. Reports reveal that he had been mobilised and serving in the Ukrainian army since 23 June. Although it remains unclear what awaits him in Hungary, he is believed to hold Hungarian citizenship, which partly motivated his decision to flee.

He broke through the border barrier and knocked down a guard

A blogger named Vitalij Glagola shared the story and posted details, along with a video, on his Telegram channel showing the extraordinary border crossing. Eduárd Volodimirovics Pukánics, born in the border town of Nagybakta, joined the Ukrainian Armed Forces as a lawyer on 23 June after being mobilised. After a few months, he decided it was better to continue his life in Hungary.

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Pukánics used his Toyota Avensis to crash through the barrier gate at the Hungarian–Ukrainian border crossing in Nagybakta at high speed. Following this, he ran over a border guard—who is currently hospitalised but reportedly without any broken bones—and finally broke through the exit barrier to enter Hungarian territory.

According to Glagola, Pukánics was born in 1987 and served in military unit A3211 (the 355th Training Mechanised Regiment) from 23 June. For reasons unknown, after a few months he chose not to continue his service. Ukrainian authorities are reportedly investigating the circumstances, as stated by KárpátHír.

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In his Telegram post, Glagola criticised Oleksandr Oszipets, the commander of the border guard in Mukachevo, describing him as controversial. According to Glagola, this was neither the first, second, nor last such incident.

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Previously, Pukánics served as a representative of the Front for Change party, led by Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who served twice as Prime Minister. He sat on the Beregszász City Council and was a committee chair, as well as a major rival of István Gajdos, then mayor and a member of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Ukraine (UMDSZ).

As previously reported by Magyar Hang, more than 520 soldiers of Hungarian descent are currently serving in the Ukrainian army, including volunteers, conscripts, and contract soldiers, according to information from the Ukrainian Embassy.

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