India, March 5 -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday ordered the release of two Hungarian citizens who were captured while serving in the Ukrainian armed forces, stating that the men had been forcibly conscripted despite holding dual Ukrainian and Hungarian citizenship.

The announcement came during a meeting at the Kremlin with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, underscoring the growing diplomatic sensitivity surrounding Ukraine's mobilization practices and the status of ethnic minorities caught in the conflict.

"These citizens hold dual citizenship, both Ukrainian and Hungarian. They were forcibly conscripted. I have decided to release them," Putin said, adding that Szijjarto could take the two men back to Hungary ...