The National Bank of Ukraine issued an official statement regarding the incident in Hungary on March 5, where two cash-in-transit vehicles belonging to the state-owned Oschadbank were seized along with seven employees and the valuables they were transporting.
According to the NBU and Oschadbank, the cash-in-transit teams were carrying out a scheduled cross-border transport of a significant volume of foreign currency and precious metals between Raiffeisen Bank International (Austria) and Oschadbank (Ukraine). The transport was carried out in accordance with all international regulations and agreements between the banks.
Hungarian law enforcement authorities groundlessly stopped and detained two armored vehicles. GPS tracking data shows that the vehicles are currently located in central Budapest. The whereabouts of the seven Ukrainian citizens—the cash-in-transit team members—remain unknown; contact with them has been lost. The vehicles contained:
approximately 40 million US dollars,
approximately 35 million euros,
9 kg of bank gold.
The National Bank of Ukraine classifies the Hungarian side’s actions as the illegal seizure of vehicles and cargo, and the detention of Ukrainian citizens. In an official statement, the NBU demands that the Hungarian authorities:
immediately release all detained Ukrainian citizens,
provide an official explanation for the reasons for their detention,
information on the exact location of the vehicles and valuables being transported,
ensure the safety of the cargo.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha has already described the incident as a “hostage-taking” and “theft of money” by Hungarian authorities, emphasizing that it may be connected to recent statements by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The situation remains tense and could lead to a sharp deterioration in bilateral relations. Ukraine has stated its readiness to utilize all diplomatic and international mechanisms to protect its citizens and return property. Budapest has not yet commented on the incident.