Ukraine has levied serious accusations against Hungary, claiming that seven employees of the state-owned Oschadbank were detained while transporting valuable assets, including cash and gold, on Friday. According to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, the individuals were engaged in a routine banking operation between Austria and Ukraine when they were intercepted by Hungarian authorities in Budapest.
Allegations of state terrorism
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Sybiha remarked, “In fact, we are talking about Hungary taking hostages and stealing money. If this is the ‘force’ announced earlier today by Mr. Orbán, then it is the force of a criminal gang. This is state terrorism and racketeering.” The Ukrainian government has formally issued a diplomatic note demanding the immediate release of the detained employees and plans to seek an evaluation from the European Union regarding Hungary’s actions.
Details of the seized assets
Oschadbank revealed that two armored vehicles were involved in the routine transfer of funds from Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank to the Ukrainian lender. The shipment included a substantial amount of money—$40 million, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold. Current GPS data indicates that the vehicles are positioned in central Budapest, close to a Hungarian security facility. However, the location of the seven detained employees remains unclear.
Insiders familiar with the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that the vehicles are located within the premises of Hungary’s anti-terrorism center in Budapest. This incident occurs against a backdrop of escalating tensions between Kyiv and Budapest, particularly concerning oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline, which is critical for transporting Russian crude to Hungary and Slovakia. This pipeline has faced disruptions following a drone attack that damaged infrastructure in Ukraine earlier this year.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accused Kyiv of obstructing oil supplies and threatened to “break the Ukrainian oil blockade by force” during a radio appearance. He added, “We will also stop things that are important to Ukraine passing through Hungary.” As of now, Hungary’s Interior Ministry has not responded to requests for comments regarding the incident.