Hungary's Construction and Transport Minister János Lázár has confirmed that last week's seizure of Ukrainian armored cash vehicles was a deliberate state operation, tied directly to Ukraine's suspension of Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline — and warned that similar actions could follow.
"We did what we did not by accident, and we will not return the money to them," Lázár said, according to Europeiska Pravda, citing the Hungarian outlet Telex.
The seized cash and gold, taken from Oschadbank armored vehicles, will remain in Hungary until Ukraine restores oil transit, the minister stated. "The money stays here for now, we are waiting for the pipeline to open, and we are waiting for new money transfers from Ukraine through Hungary," he said.
Lázár did not rule out further operations of this kind. He suggested Hungary may be preparing similar seizures if the pipeline issue remains unresolved, adding: "The longer the restoration of the pipeline takes, the more thorough investigations of this matter will be needed."
The minister also questioned the legality of transporting foreign currency into Ukraine, framing the seizure partly as a law enforcement matter — while simultaneously acknowledging its political motivation. "We know the Ukrainians are very nervous. If we are being blackmailed, we cannot be foolish enough to give in," he said.
Seven Ukrainian cash collectors detained alongside the assets returned to Ukraine on the evening of March 6. The money and gold did not. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reported that Hungary's Anti-Terrorist Center deployed armored personnel carriers, machine guns, and grenade launchers to detain unarmed couriers.
Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Ukraine intends to hold all those responsible accountable for the seizure of funds and the treatment of the detained collectors, which he said went beyond the bounds of the law.
Detention of Oschadbank employees in Hungary
The incident began in the night of 6 March, when Hungarian authorities stopped seven Oschadbank employees carrying cash on an armored courier run from Austria. Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) confirmed the detention of the seven Ukrainians on suspicion of money laundering, stating that Hungarian authorities had promptly notified the Ukrainian consulate of the investigation.
According to Oschadbank, the couriers were transporting funds under an international agreement with Austria's Raiffeisen Bank. The cargo — $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold — was processed in accordance with international transport rules and applicable European customs procedures. GPS data showed the armored vehicles parked in central Budapest, near the premises of one of Hungary's security agencies. Informed sources told Suspilne that the vehicles were being held on the grounds of the local Anti-Terrorist Center.
Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács wrote on X that NAV had identified all seven detainees and established that the operation was led by a former general of Ukraine's Security Service, with a former Air Force major as his deputy, and was assisted by individuals with military backgrounds. "Based on these findings, all seven individuals will be expelled from Hungary," Kovács wrote.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry described the detention as "arbitrary" and recommended that Ukrainian citizens avoid traveling to Hungary, citing an inability to guarantee their safety. National Bank of Ukraine Governor Andriy Pyshnyi announced that his team was urgently traveling to Budapest to assess the situation.
