Hungarian authorities have detained seven Ukrainian bank employees and seized $80 million in cash and gold from an armored convoy, alleging ties to intelligence services. The incident has further strained relations between Hungary and Ukraine, which are already embroiled in a bitter feud over Russian oil supplies.
Key Takeaways
Hungarian authorities have detained seven Ukrainian bank employees and seized $80 million in cash and gold from an armored convoy, alleging ties to intelligence services. This incident has further escalated tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, which are already at odds over Russian oil supplies.
- Hungarian authorities detained seven Ukrainian bank employees and seized $80 million in cash and gold
- Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary of 'state terrorism and racketeering'
- The incident follows a dispute over gas supplies and EU sanctions on Russia
- Hungarian officials announced the detainees would be expelled, raising questions about legal proceedings
- Ukraine has urged its citizens to avoid traveling to Hungary due to safety concerns
The armored vehicles were transporting $40 million, €35 million in cash, and 9kg of gold when they were stopped by Hungarian authorities. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary of 'taking hostages and stealing money,' calling it 'state terrorism and racketeering.' He also alleged that Hungarian President Viktor Orbán orchestrated the scandal for political gain ahead of upcoming elections.
The seizure follows a dispute over gas supplies, with Hungary accusing Kyiv of deliberately stalling repairs to an oil pipeline damaged in a Russian drone attack. In response, Orbán vetoed further EU sanctions on Russia and blocked a €90 billion loan for Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded by suggesting he would give Orbán's address to Ukrainian armed forces if the loan was not approved.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accused Ukraine of seeking to interfere in Hungary’s upcoming elections, alleging that Kyiv had been coordinating with the European Union and Orbán’s opposition to block Russian oil shipments. Speaking at an anti-Ukraine protest outside Ukraine’s embassy in Budapest, Szijjártó claimed that Ukraine was trying to influence the Hungarian election to bring in a government more favorable to Kyiv.
The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank and were traveling between Austria and Ukraine as part of regular banking services. Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration confirmed it was conducting criminal proceedings on suspicion of money laundering. However, Hungarian officials announced that the detainees would be expelled from Hungary, raising questions about the legal proceedings.
The incident has further strained relations between Hungary and Ukraine amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. Ukrainian authorities have urged citizens to avoid traveling to Hungary due to 'arbitrary actions by the Hungarian authorities' and called for businesses to consider the risk of property seizure in Hungary.
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