Ukraine recognizes Soviet-era deportations of Transcarpathian Hungarians

The Ukrainian Parliament (Verkhovna Rada) has officially recognized and condemned the crimes committed by the Soviet military administration in Transcarpathia between 1944 and 1946. The resolution, passed with 261 votes and no opposition, acknowledges the mass, illegal arrests and deportations of thousands of peaceful Hungarian-ethnic civilians to the GULAG concentration camp system under the pretext of mobilization.

This legislative move follows long-standing tensions regarding the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. Hungary has previously blocked Ukraine’s EU accession process, citing a lack of progress in protecting Hungarian minority rights.

Sándor Fegyir, Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, stated that the decision is the result of years of political debate and reaffirmed that Ukraine intends to fulfill its commitments regarding minority rights. The Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the resolution, describing it as a “worthy gesture” toward the victims and a significant step in confronting the Soviet past.