Bank employees detained and cash seized in Hungary, Ukraine says

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Ukraine's foreign minister accused Hungarian authorities of taking seven Ukrainian employees of a state-owned bank hostage and illegally seizing a cash shipment that was traveling in a convoy across Hungary.

In a post on X late Thursday, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha wrote that the well-being of the seven Ukrainians — employees of the state-owned Oschadbank traveling in two armored cars between Austria and Ukraine — was unknown.

The armored cars were carrying cash as part of regular services between state banks, Sybiha wrote.

In a separate statement, Oschadbank wrote that $40 million in American currency, as well as 35 million euros and 9 kilograms (19.8 pounds) of gold had been apprehended by Hungary.

GPS data showed the vehicles were in the center of Budapest near one of Hungary's law enforcement agencies, but that the location of the bank employees remained unknown, the bank wrote.

Hungary's Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The incident further inflamed tensions between Hungary and Ukraine, which are 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 Jan. 27. Ukraine says a Russian drone strike damaged the pipeline's infrastructure, and that repairing it carried risks to technicians and that even if restored, it would remain vulnerable to further Russian attacks.

Hungary's government, however, has accused Ukraine of deliberately holding up supplies of Russian crude, and has vowed to take countermeasures against Kyiv until oil flows resume.

Hungary, along with neighboring Slovakia, have defied European Union efforts to wean off of Russian fossil fuels, and continued to purchase them despite Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Without mentioning them directly, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán alluded to the detention of the bank vehicles in statements to state radio Friday, saying: “We will stop things that are important to Ukraine passing through Hungary until we get the approval of the Ukrainians for oil shipments.”

Orbán, who has maintained close relations with the Kremlin while escalating an aggressive anti-Ukraine campaign ahead of crucial elections next month, previously ceased diesel shipments to Ukraine, vetoed a new round of EU sanctions against Russia and blocked a major, 90-billion-euro ($106-billion) loan for Kyiv in retaliation for the interruption in oil shipments.

He's also deployed military forces to key energy infrastructure sites across Hungary, accusing Ukraine of plotting disruptions.

On Thursday, Orbán told an economic forum that Hungary would use “force,” including “political and financial tools,” to compel Ukraine to resume oil shipments.

On his post on X, the Ukrainian foreign minister took issue with Orbán's comments, writing: “We are talking about Hungary taking hostages and stealing money.”

“If this is the ‘force’ announced earlier today by Mr. Orban, then this is a force of a criminal gang,” Sybiha wrote. “This is state terrorism and racketeering.”

Sybiha added that Ukraine would take the matter up with the EU to clarify Hungary's actions.