Hungary is preparing to deport 7 Ukrainians and launch a money laundering investigation after authorities intercepted a convoy carrying money belonging to a Ukrainian state bank.
Hungarian customs and police blocked this convoy on the night of March 6 at a service area on the highway. The trucks and people in the cars worked for the Ukrainian bank Oschadbank and were transporting money and gold from Austria to Ukraine.
According to the bank, these vehicles carried 40 million USD, 35 million euros and 9kg of gold. The Hungarian government has released a video recording the raid carried out by the Anti-Terrorism Police.
The incident marked a strong escalation in already tense bilateral relations, just one day after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused each other and raised the possibility of using force against each other.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary of kidnapping and robbery. "In Budapest, the Hungarian authorities took 7 Ukrainian citizens hostage. In fact, we are talking about Hungary taking hostages and robbing money" - he wrote on social network X.
The Ukrainian government affirmed that the transfer of gold money is legal and complies with international regulations. Ukrainian officials also said they could not contact detained citizens. The Hungarian government has released images of confiscated cash and gold.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Sándor Fegyir was seen outside a law enforcement center in central Budapest but was refused entry.
Hungary's Tax and Customs authorities have opened a money laundering case with 7 Ukrainian citizens arrested. According to Budapest, the money transfer was monitored by a former general of the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency and other members of the delegation who also had military backgrounds.
The Hungarian government also accused Ukraine of previously transporting 900 million USD, 420 million euros and 146kg of gold through Hungary.
If this is really a transaction between banks, then the question is why banks cannot pay by transferring money to each other and why such a large amount of cash needs to be transported, let alone transported through Hungary" - Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó asked.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued travel warnings to citizens, warning that their safety cannot be guaranteed in Hungary.
Budapest and Kiev are entangled in a fierce dispute over the closure of the Druzhba oil pipeline, a pipeline transporting Russian oil through Ukraine to Hungary.
This oil pipeline was attacked at the end of January 2026 and has not been repaired. Hungary accuses Ukraine of taking advantage of this disruption to exert political pressure.
On March 5, Mr. Orbán announced that he would restore the oil flow and pledged to end what he called the "blockade" of Ukraine by force if necessary. Mr. Zelensky responded, emphasizing that Ukrainian soldiers could be sent to Mr. Orbán's address and "let them talk to him in their language".
On the afternoon of March 6, non-governmental organizations linked to the Hungarian government held a protest outside the Ukrainian Embassy in Budapest, protesting Ukraine's interference in Hungary's election campaign. Hungary is scheduled to hold parliamentary elections next April.
