Hungary Threatens Prison for Volunteer who Joined Ukrainian Armed Forces

A Hungarian citizen who joined Ukraine’s military to fight Russian forces faces a prison sentence at home, prosecutors said Friday.

According to a statement from the prosecutor’s office in Hungary’s Csongrád-Csanád region, a man from the town of Makó voluntarily joined the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the spring of 2024 and participated in combat.

“The defendant decided to voluntarily join the Ukrainian army in spring 2024 to participate in military operations against Russian troops,” the statement reads.

Prosecutors state that the man traveled to Ukraine last April, underwent several days of training, and was then assigned to a battalion engaged in combat and reconnaissance missions.

The Hungarian Prosecutor’s Office has charged a man in absentia with illegally joining an armed group involved in an armed conflict outside the territory of allied forces.

In its indictment, the prosecutor’s office requested that the Szeged District Court proceed without the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, and impose a custodial sentence.

Meanwhile, Hungarian media have reported the death of a 21-year-old Hungarian national, Aser Benjamin, who volunteered to fight with the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

Aser, born in 2004, was previously a contract soldier in the Hungarian Armed Forces. According to Telex, he failed to report for duty in March 2023, prompting a criminal case. He had reportedly told his commander he intended to go to Ukraine to fight Russian forces.

Unconfirmed reports say Aser served in Ukraine’s 3rd Separate Assault Brigade and was killed shortly after his 21st birthday.

Hungarian volunteer Aser Benjamin, who died defending Ukraine. Photo by Szabolcs Panyi.