US EditionHungary temporarily detains 7 Ukrainians and seizes $80 million cash shipment, angering Kyiv
Hungary suspects money laundering and organized crime links in seizure of $80 million cash and gold from Ukrainian bank convoy amid escalating diplomatic tensions.
- On March 6, 2026, Hungarian authorities detained seven Ukrainian nationals and seized $80,000,000 in cash and gold after stopping two armoured vehicles on the M5 motorway.
- Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration says it opened criminal proceedings on suspicion of money laundering amid Druzhba pipeline disruptions since Jan 27 and election tensions,
- TEK officers executed the stop at a petrol station on the M5 motorway, raiding two armoured cash-in-transit vehicles and Oschadbank chairman Yurii Katsion said Hungary 'groundlessly questioned' the funds' source.
- After the detentions, Ukraine said the seven detained Ukrainians were released Friday but Hungary retained the cash and gold while the Fidesz party proposed a 60-day hold.
- The episode risks disrupting EU support for Ukraine by jeopardising tens of billions in aid, amplifying a dispute with Budapest that has blocked major assistance ahead of Viktor Orbán's April 12, 2026 parliamentary election.
82 Articles
82 Articles
The Ukrainian diplomat and he expressed his anger at the relays that were treated with the seven Ukrainian bank employees, arrested last week in Hungary, accusing one of them of being admitted to the hospital after he had been given a drug injection, informs AFP. These employees of the Ukrainian public bank Oschadbank, who were transporting ...
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Ukrainian bank worker detained by Hungary was forcibly medicated: Kyiv
Kyiv on Monday accused Hungary of grossly violating the rights of seven Ukrainian bank employees -- including by forcibly drugging a man with diabetes -- after they were detained with a truck of cash and gold.
Hungary grossly violates rights of Ukrainian cash-in-transit employees: handcuffs, blindfolds, medical aid only after loss of consciousness, pressure, and absence of lawyer
Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has declared unacceptable and inadequate actions by the Hungarian authorities, calling them a cynical violation of international obligations, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the Ukrainian-Hungarian Consular Convention, following the detention of seven employees of JSC State Savings Bank of Ukraine (Oschadbank) on March 5, 2026.
Orbán–Zelensky clash deepens after cash seizure, pipeline dispute, and Kremlin interference fears
Relations between Ukraine and Hungary have plunged into meltdown after Volodymyr Zelensky threatened Viktor Orbán last week over blocked EU funding. This was followed by a dramatic cash and gold seizure in Hungary, while intelligence claims of Kremlin election interference in Hungary add another layer to the rift.
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