The Hungarian Armed Forces ended active service on the Hungarian-Serbian border on Thursday and were replaced by the border patrol units set up earlier this year.
Addressing the handover at the Hercegszántó army base near the border, State Secretary Bence Rétvári said that more than 263,000 illegal entry attempts had been thwarted this year on that border section alone. Those serving here “are protecting one of the most-attacked border sections in the European Union”, he said. Tamás Vargha, a state secretary of the defense ministry, said that three-quarters of all Hungarian troops had already served at the border, “a testimony to their preparedness, patriotism and commitment to peace”.