US EditionHungary Accused of Taking Ukrainian Bank Staff Hostage After Orbán Threatened by Zelenskyy
Hungary detained seven Ukrainian bank employees and seized $40 million and 9 kg of gold amid disputes over halted Druzhba oil pipeline transit, officials said.
- On March 5, 2026, Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration detained seven State Savings Bank of Ukraine employees in Budapest and seized two vehicles carrying US$40 million, 35 million euros, and 9 kg of gold.
- The dispute began with damage to the Druzhba pipeline on Jan 27, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has blocked EU sanctions and a 90 billion euro EU-backed loan.
- Hungary's tax authority, working with counter-terrorism units, announced it opened criminal proceedings on suspicion of money laundering, while Raiffeisen Bank Austria declined to comment.
- Following the detentions, Sybiha wrote `This is state terrorism and racketeering` and said Kyiv has sent an official note to the EU while advising citizens against travel to Hungary.
- Analysts say the episode risks weakening EU unity and aid to Kyiv amid Orbán's April 12 election campaign, as Hungary blocks the 90 billion euro EU loan and sanctions over the pipeline dispute.
194 Articles
194 Articles
Once again, its leaders, Volodimir Zelenski and Víctor Orbán, staged their mutual antipathy in an episode involving cross-threats, a “kidnapping” for $40 million and forced reconciliation following the EU dispute. On Thursday, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the arrest of seven employees of a Ukrainian banking entity in Budapest. According to reports, “two armoured vans were operating between Austria and Ukraine and transporting cash as…
Kiev and Budapest have been in the clinch for weeks because of an oil pipeline. Now, a money transporter affair is fueling the conflict, which is also shaping the Hungarian election campaign.
Hungary will “demand answers from Ukraine's leadership” about “who is behind the money” and gold bars that were seized in Sberbank's collector cars.
The dispute between Ukraine and Hungary over the supply of Russian oil has intensified further.
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