HEROIC HUNGARIANS FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY: UKRAINE

There are currently approximately 400 Hungarians on the Ukranian front line and to date 31 have died for their country.

- JOHN DOBSON

Think of ethnic minorities in Ukraine and probably the first group that comes to mind is Russian. After all, this is the group of nearly 8 million that President Putin claimed to be defending when he invaded Ukraine nineteen months ago. Since then, many have fled to Russia or more likely have been killed in the onslaught of Russian troops. A curious way to protect your supposed kinfolk.

Ethnic Russians live mainly in the East and South of Ukraine, where much of the fighting is currently centred.

If you cast your eye to the Western side of the country, you will find another ethnic minority group: Hungarians, wedged in a corner of the Carpathian Mountains between Slovakia to the west, Hungary to the southwest, Romania to the south, and Poland to the northwest.

This is the Zakarpattia region of about 5,000 square miles, otherwise known as the Transcarpathian Oblast and known for its natural beauty, historical sites, and cultural attractions.

According to Ukraine's 2001 census, the latest available, the number of ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine was approximately 156,000, about 0.3% of the population, but this figure is now believed to be closer to 80,000 because of the war.

Although Kyiv insists the Zakarpattia region is Ukrainian, it has only been part of the country for the past 74 years, and there's a good reason why so many ethnic Hungarians live there.