Ukrainian diplomats, including the ambassador and consuls, continue to be at the location where seven Ukrainian citizens are being held in Hungary, but they have still not been granted access to them. This was reported by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Georgiy Tikhiy, who indicated that representatives of Ukraine have been demanding a meeting with the detainees for over an hour and a half.
This is reported by Kyiv24
“As of now, apart from public statements, the Hungarian side has not taken any real steps regarding access for the consuls or the release of the Ukrainian citizens.”
Details of the Detention of Ukrainian Cashiers
According to Ukrainian officials, seven Ukrainian citizens, employees of the state-owned “Oschadbank,” were detained in Hungary while performing a route in two cash transport vehicles traveling between Austria and Ukraine. The Ukrainian National Police have initiated criminal proceedings regarding the abduction of Ukrainian citizens and the service vehicles of “Oschadbank” on the territory of this country.
In connection with the incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has urged citizens to refrain from traveling or transiting through Hungary. Meanwhile, “Oschadbank” stated that they had not received any information from the Hungarian side either before or after the detention of their employees. The bank emphasized that it sees no legal grounds for the detention of the cash transport vehicles and personnel, and explained that since the beginning of the full-scale war, the transportation of currency and banking metals has been carried out only by ground transport, with such routes occurring weekly.
Budapest’s Position and the International Community’s Reaction
According to “Oschadbank,” the detained vehicles were transporting assets worth 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kg of gold belonging to the state bank of Ukraine. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto noted that the country’s authorities have questions regarding the transportation of such a large amount of cash through its territory. He emphasized that until Kyiv provides clear explanations regarding the origin and purpose of the funds, the Hungarian authorities will conduct a thorough investigation.
The Hungarian National Tax and Customs Administration has identified the seven detained Ukrainians, and, as reported by the spokesperson for the Hungarian government, Zoltan Kovacs, all of them will be deported from the country.
The European Commission is currently refraining from commenting on the situation, stating that they are processing the available information and need time to clarify the details. Meanwhile, the Polish Foreign Minister, commenting on the incident, referred to it as a theft of money.
The incident occurred against the backdrop of rising tensions in relations between Ukraine and Hungary. The day before, representatives of the Hungarian government described a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who hinted at the possibility of providing the Ukrainian military with the address of one of the individuals in the EU blocking aid to Ukraine, as an “open threat.”