Shebeshtyen Yozhef (Yosyp Yosypovych)

Date 14.06.2025

Source note: official statements, media reports, eyewitness accounts, and social media claims are presented as claims by the respective sources. They are not treated as established facts without independent confirmation, forensic documents, or a court ruling.

Shebeshtyen Yozhef (Yosyp Yosypovych)

Chronology

  • 14.06.2025 - 45-year-old Yozhef Shebeshtyen, who held dual Ukrainian and Hungarian citizenship, was mobilized after passing a medical board that declared him fit for service.
  • 15.06.2025 - he was sent to a military unit for training.
  • 18.06.2025 - he left the unit without authorization and without a weapon. This was recorded in an internal investigation report.
  • 24.06.2025 - he sought medical help on his own at the Berehove district hospital. Diagnosis: acute stress reaction. He was then transferred to a regional psychiatric facility.
  • 06.07.2025 - he died in hospital. The official cause was pulmonary embolism.

Circumstances of the incident

The case became international because of the deceased man's dual citizenship. The Hungarian side claimed Shebeshtyen had been beaten at the TCC, while the Ukrainian side categorically denied this.

According to social media reports, a video from the training center showed that Shebeshtyen could not walk, while servicemen joked by calling him a "lizard" and saying that he had "fallen onto metal rods." These claims require additional verification.

Version of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The command of the Ground Forces stated:

  • Shebeshtyen was a Ukrainian citizen mobilized on lawful grounds.
  • He underwent training starting on 15 June.
  • On 18 June he left the unit without authorization.
  • The forensic examination listed pulmonary embolism as the cause of death, with no bodily injuries indicating violence.
  • The Armed Forces categorically rejected claims of forced mobilization, abuse, or human-rights violations.

Hungarian side's version

  • Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said: "My sincere condolences to the family of the Hungarian man who died as a result of Ukrainian violent detention."
  • Hungarian outlet Telex reported that Ukraine's ambassador to Hungary, Fedir Shandor, was summoned to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry.
  • The Hungarian side claimed that Shebeshtyen was beaten and lost consciousness at a training facility.

Testimony from medical staff

Medical orderly Zoltan Razo, who worked at the hospital where Shebeshtyen died, said:

  • there were no traces of beatings on the body;
  • colleagues said Shebeshtyen had fallen in the bathroom because of a blood clot;
  • according to him, other medical workers likewise did not see signs of beating during repeated examinations.

Diplomatic scandal

The case triggered the biggest diplomatic conflict between Ukraine and Hungary related to mobilization:

  • 11.07.2025 - Hungary's Foreign Ministry summoned Ukraine's ambassador Fedir Shandor.
  • 12.07.2025 - a memorial event was held outside the Ukrainian embassy in Budapest, with about 500 people, candles, and participation by Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjen.
  • 15.07.2025 - in an interview with Magyar Nemzet, Orban said: "You cannot make speeches about Ukraine's suitability for EU membership and the next day bury people beaten to death during forced conscription."
  • 15.07.2025 - Orban initiated a proposal in Brussels to place Ukrainian officials on the EU human-rights sanctions list.
  • 15.07.2025 - Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said: "In Ukraine there is a hunt for people. Men without training, completely unfit for service, are kidnapped in front of their families. And people are beaten. Beaten to death."
  • 17.07.2025 - Hungary imposed sanctions, in the form of entry bans, against three Ukrainian generals.
  • 17.07.2025 - Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, through Andrii Sybiha, called Hungary's decision groundless and absurd.
  • 17.07.2025 - a Hungarian church in Zakarpattia was set on fire with the inscription "Magyars to the knives."
  • 06.08.2025 - Szijjarto said Ukraine was refusing to investigate.
  • 07.08.2025 - the SBI denied that claim.

Consequences

  • A new defense minister was appointed and immediately announced mandatory body cameras for TCC staff from 01.09.2025.
  • Ombudsman Lubinets stated on 05.08.2025: "TCC staff have no right to use force."
  • Military ombudsman Reshetylova stated on 06.08.2025 that TCCs should be removed from the streets.

Investigation status

The SBI said it was investigating the circumstances of the death. It denied reports that it had refused to investigate, calling them "manipulative and untrue."

Sources

Media

Telegram