Ukraine has successfully repatriated two more military prisoners from Hungary

Ukrainian diplomats managed to return two more Ukrainian soldiers who were transferred by Russia to Hungary in early June.

This was reported by a spokesman  for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Oleg Nikolenko. 

"Ukrainian diplomats have evacuated two more Ukrainian prisoners of war from Hungary, who were transferred from Moscow to Budapest. As a result, Ukraine has now managed to bring back five Ukrainian defenders. We continue to work to ensure the prompt return of the remaining six soldiers to their homeland and families," the spokesperson stated.

Previously, Kyiv had already reached an agreement on the return of three military personnel to Ukraine, noting that they were already on Ukrainian-controlled territory and receiving all necessary support.

It is worth recalling that on June 8, the Russian Orthodox Church announced that a group of Ukrainian military personnel of "Transcarpathian origin" had been transported to Hungary as part of "inter-church cooperation at the request of the Hungarian side" and had been captured during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Initially, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, stated that Ukrainian soldiers had been brought to the country without the involvement of the state, emphasizing that religious organizations had conducted certain consultations without Budapest's participation. However, the Hungarian official also mentioned that the Ukrainian captives could freely move within Hungary and contact the Ukrainian authorities if they so desired.

Meanwhile, Ivan Angelin, the Ukrainian government's adviser on missing persons, reported that Budapest was holding Ukrainian prisoners of war and that they were considered hostages since the reasons for their presence in Hungary and the reasons preventing their return to their homeland were not known at that time.

Later, Deputy Prime Minister of Hungary, Zsolt Semjén, confirmed the information that 11 Ukrainian military personnel had been transported to Budapest, describing it as a "gesture" from the Russian Orthodox Church to Hungary.

The European Union's reaction was not delayed either. According to Peter Stano, spokesperson for the European Commission for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the bloc demands official explanations from the Hungarian side regarding its involvement in the release of Ukrainian citizens and communication with the Ukrainian government.

In total, Ukraine has managed to repatriate five military personnel back to their homeland, while six Ukrainians still remain on Hungarian territory.