The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiga, made a strong statement regarding the situation involving the detention of seven employees of the state-owned “Oschadbank” in Budapest. According to him, the Hungarian authorities have effectively seized Ukrainian citizens who were transporting funds and valuables between Austria and Ukraine as part of regular banking operations.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Detention of Cashiers and Seizure of Valuables
According to reports, the seven employees of “Oschadbank” were on a service trip in two cash transport vehicles, transporting currency and banking metals between “Raiffeisen Bank Austria” and “Oschadbank Ukraine.” Hungarian law enforcement officials detained the crew and vehicles in Budapest without providing any reasons. GPS data indicates that the vehicles are located in the city center near the building of Hungary’s law enforcement agencies. This has been confirmed by representatives of the Ukrainian embassy as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the bank’s estimates, the detained vehicles contained funds and valuables totaling 40 million US dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold. The institution demands the immediate release of its employees and the return of its property, and it maintains constant communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and law enforcement agencies.
Response from the Ukrainian Side and Next Steps
“Today in Budapest, the Hungarian authorities have taken seven citizens of Ukraine hostage. The reasons for this, as well as their health status and the possibility of contacting them, remain unknown,” stated Andriy Sybiga.
Andriy Sybiga emphasized that the actions of the Hungarian side are a manifestation of state terrorism and extortion, and noted that Ukraine has already sent an official note demanding the immediate release of its citizens. Furthermore, the Ukrainian side will appeal to the institutions of the European Union, urging them to provide a clear qualification of these actions, which Sybiga characterized as illegal hostage-taking and robbery.
At this moment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary is refraining from commenting on the incident. The Ukrainian side continues to take diplomatic measures to secure the return of the employees of “Oschadbank” and to protect the interests of its citizens.