Hungarian authorities have detained seven Ukrainian citizens and seized two armored cars carrying large amounts of cash on suspicion of money laundering, officials announced on Friday. The incident has sparked a diplomatic row between Hungary and Ukraine, with the Ukrainian government accusing Hungary of taking its citizens hostage and illegally seizing millions of dollars in cash.
The seven detained Ukrainians were employees of the Ukrainian state-owned Oschadbank, who were traveling in two armored cars carrying money between Austria and Ukraine as part of regular services between state banks. The shipment apprehended by Hungary included 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold, worth around $1.5 million at current prices, according to Oschadbank.
Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Administration confirmed the detention of the Ukrainian citizens and the seizure of the cash-transport vehicles, stating that criminal proceedings were being conducted on suspicion of money laundering. The Hungarian Government Information Center later announced that the seven Ukrainians would be expelled from Hungarian territory.
The incident has further escalated tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, which are already embroiled in a bitter feud over Hungary’s access to Russian oil through a pipeline that crosses Ukrainian territory. Oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline have been interrupted since January 27, with Ukraine accusing Russia of damaging the pipeline’s infrastructure.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has close ties with the Kremlin, has been leading an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of crucial elections next month. He has labeled Ukraine as Hungary’s “enemy” and accused Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of seeking to provoke an energy crisis to influence the election outcome.
Orbán has vowed to take strong countermeasures against Ukraine until oil flows resume, including using force and political and financial tools. He has also deployed military forces to key energy infrastructure sites across Hungary, alleging that Ukraine is plotting disruptions.
In response, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has urged Ukrainian citizens to avoid visiting Hungary due to concerns about their security amid the “arbitrary actions by the Hungarian authorities.” The Ministry has also warned Ukrainian and European businesses to consider the risk of arbitrary seizure of property in Hungary.
The detention of the Ukrainian citizens and the seizure of money by Hungary has been condemned by Ukraine as part of Hungary’s electoral campaign and blackmail. The situation remains tense as both countries navigate through the diplomatic fallout of this incident.
