Mother of 19-year-old Roland Popovych says goodbye to her only son,

Article by: Yuriy Butuzov, editor-in-chief Censor.net

As a follow-up to the recent scandal at the Hungarian consulate of Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast, we publish a year-old FB post (September 26, 2017) by Yuriy Butusov, journalist and editor-in-chief of Censor.net, reminding Hungarian politicians of the war and the Ukrainian-Hungarian soldiers who perished on the field of battle. Ever more relevant in view of the recent political tit-for-tat between Kyiv and Budapest…

Editor’s Note: Last week, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said he would not rule out expelling the Hungarian consul in Berehove from Ukraine after hidden camera footage showing the diplomat conducting a Hungarian citizenship oath-taking ceremony for Ukrainian citizens at the consulate appeared online. Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that if the Ukrainian government moved to expel the Hungarian consul in Berehove, Ukraine, Hungary would retaliate by expelling a Ukrainian official. He condemned what he called “the Ukrainian leadership’s attempt to intimidate the ethnic Hungarian community in Transcarpathia (Zakarpattia Oblast)”. Szijjártó added that everything that happened at the Berehove consulate concerning the citizenship oath-taking ceremony is in line with Hungarian and international law and that Hungary’s government would stick to its policy of blocking Ukraine’s aspirations of European and NATO integration until it changed its “policy of inciting hatred towards Hungarians”. Read more details about the scandal in Berehove here.

The Hungarian government has tarnished the memory of Ukrainian-Hungarian soldiers who fell in battle and others, who are still fighting for their native country – Ukraine. They all lived much closer to Hungary than to the Donbas, and it was easier for them to travel to Budapest than to the war-torn eastern regions of Ukraine. Not only did they know and speak Ukrainian, but they also laid down their lives for Ukraine.

Unfortunately, the politicians in Budapest don’t seem to understand this. They don’t understand that we’ve paid too high a price and too much blood has been spilt for our freedom. There’s no going back now, and there’s no place to go back.

These men died for Ukraine, its culture and language, its history and memory:

Roland Popovych, 19 years old. The first and youngest resident of Transcarpathian Berehove to perish in the war. Roland served in the 15th Battalion of the 128th Brigade. He was killed at a checkpoint in Luhansk Oblast on June 14, 2014.

Memory Book

Zoltan Balazh, 22 years old. Zoltan seved as junior sergeant in the 128th Mountain Infantry Brigade. He was born in the village of Korolevo, Vynohradiv Raion, Zakarpattia Oblast. He was killed on July 18, 2017 in a battle near the village of Zaitseve, Donetsk Oblast.

Memory Book

Adalbert Kovach, 36 years old. Adalbert was from Vynohradiv, Zakarpattia Oblast. He served with the 128th Brigade He was killed on January 25, 2015 in a battle with Russian tanks near the village of Sanzharivka, Donetsk Oblast. Adalbart leaves behind his wife and two young children.

Memory Book

Shandor Tovt, 44 years old. Shandor lived in Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast. He served as senior sergeant in the 128th Brigade. He was killed in his IFV during the retreat from Debaltseve on February 17, 2015.

Memory Book

Eternal memory to the heroes of the War of Independence!

Вічна Пам’ять! Eternal Memory!

Герої не вмирають! Heroes Never Die!

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Tags: Donbas war (2014-present), Hungary, Ukrainian-Hungarians, Zakarpattia