Ground Forces on Hungarian’s death after alleged "beating at TCR": man was mobilized into Armed Forces and went AWOL
The Ukrainian Ground Forces Command responded to reports about the alleged death of Hungarian citizen Yosyp Shebeshten (referred to as József Shebesztyén in Hungarian media) following a beating at a TCR in Zakarpattia.
This was stated in a message from the Command, as reported by Censor.NET.
They expressed condolences to the family and relatives of the deceased serviceman Shebeshtyen, who served in one of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"We deeply sympathize with the loss of every soldier who joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to defend their country against full-scale aggression. At the same time, we consider it necessary to disclose verified information that has already been established:
- Yosyp Yosypovych Shebeshten is a citizen of Ukraine;
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He was lawfully mobilized into the Armed Forces of Ukraine on June 14, 2025, after passing a medical commission that declared him fit for military service;
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Shebeshten Y.Y. was assigned to one of the military units where he underwent training starting June 15, 2025;
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On June 18, 2025, he unlawfully left his military unit’s location without weapons, which is documented in an official investigation report," the Armed Forces statement reads.
It is reported that less than a week later, on June 24, Shebeshtyen personally visited the emergency department, after which he was hospitalized at the Regional Psychiatric Care Facility in Berehove with a diagnosis of "acute stress reaction." He died on July 6.
According to the forensic medical examination, the cause of death was pulmonary artery thromboembolism, and no signs of bodily injury indicating violence were found.
The Ukrainian Ground Forces also categorically rejected any assumptions of forced mobilization or mistreatment of Shebeshten by servicemen at the TCR.
"We are open to a transparent investigation of the circumstances surrounding this situation within the framework of Ukrainian law and uphold the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. We are confident that objectivity and adherence to legal procedures must remain the foundation for any public and interstate communication," the Command emphasized.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine called on the media, the public, and representatives of foreign governments to refrain from spreading unverified or emotionally charged information that "may become a tool for destructive influence or information operations by a hostile state."
Recall that the day before, the Hungarian publication Telex reported that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Ukrainian ambassador to Budapest, Fedor Shandor, over the death of a Zakarpattia resident with Hungarian citizenship, who was allegedly beaten several weeks ago by servicemen of the TCR.
