Tragic: Young Hungarian soldier killed fighting in Ukraine
On 24 May, 21-year-old Hungarian soldier Benjámin Aser was killed in Ukraine while fighting against Russian forces. According to Telex, the news was confirmed by both Ukrainian and Hungarian sources, as well as by the young man’s father.
The young Hungarian soldier was voluntarily fighting in Ukraine
According to Telex, Benjámin Aser was born in 2004 in Hungary and originally served as a contracted soldier in the Hungarian Defence Forces. However, in March 2023, he failed to report for duty, and a criminal investigation was launched after he told his superior he was heading to Ukraine to fight. According to a Ukrainian source, the Hungarian soldier served in the elite 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, formed from the Azov Special Operations Detachment. He was killed in action shortly after his 21st birthday.
The young Hungarian soldier’s father, who lives in Canada as a political refugee, said his son was autistic and had long aspired to become a professional soldier, but was rejected by the Hungarian military. Interested in military technology from a young age, Benjámin secretly took on combat service in Ukraine. His father hopes he will be buried in either Kyiv or Toronto, as he cannot travel to Hungary and feels his son’s heart belongs to Ukraine.
Tragedy after tragedy
At the same time, another tragic incident in Transcarpathia has sparked serious diplomatic tensions: a 45-year-old Hungarian citizen was allegedly beaten to death by Ukrainian recruiters during forced conscription, prompting Hungary to summon Ukraine’s ambassador in Budapest. Ukrainian authorities deny the use of violence, but the Hungarian government is demanding a full investigation.
The case has attracted significant international attention and highlighted the challenges facing the Hungarian minority in the region. Hungary has repeatedly criticised Ukraine over minority rights violations, and the incident threatens to further strain bilateral relations.
Benjámin Aser is not the only Hungarian soldier who has died on the Ukrainian front—other Transcarpathian soldiers, such as 37-year-old Yuriy Konkusz, also lost their lives in earlier fighting, with Konkusz killed in action in November 2024. Protecting ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine and clarifying these incidents have become central to Hungarian-Ukrainian diplomacy.
Preparations are underway to repatriate Aser’s body, and Hungarian diplomats are actively involved in the process. Meanwhile, his family and community mourn the loss of a young man who, by his own convictions, chose to fight on Ukraine’s side.
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