Zelenskyy hails 'important step' as Hungary returns assets seized from Ukraine bank workers

Published on 06/05/2026 - 15:48 GMT+2

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced connected Wednesday that Hungary had returned currency and golden seized from employees of a state-owned Ukrainian slope successful March amid a governmental spat.

"An important measurement successful relations with Hungary - today, the funds and valuables of Oschadbank that were seized by Hungarian peculiar services successful March of this twelvemonth were returned," Zelenskyy said successful a connection connected societal media.

"I americium grateful to Hungary for its constructive attack and civilized step. I convey everyone connected Ukraine’s squad who fought for a just determination and defended the interests of our authorities and our people."

Ukraine's Oschadbank demanded the contiguous instrumentality of currency and golden confiscated by Hungarian authorities successful March, lawyers representing the slope successful Hungary told Euronews.

The incidental triggered a diplomatic enactment aft Hungarian constabulary raided a convoy of currency carriers adjacent Budapest and seized $40 million, €35 cardinal and 9kg of gold.

Hungary expelled 7 Ukrainian nationals accompanying the transport the pursuing time and opened an probe into suspected wealth laundering.

Horváth Lawyers, a instrumentality steadfast representing Oschadbank and its 7 employees successful Hungary, told Euronews that the Ukrainian vehicles were carrying retired a regular transportation from Austria's Raiffeisen Bank to Oschadbank's office successful Kyiv.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary of kidnapping and authorities terrorism, portion his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, said the funds could beryllium linked to transgression activities.

"The question rightly arises whether this is not the wealth of the Ukrainian warfare mafia," Szijjártó said.

Hungary’s outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered the authorities to clasp the currency and golden for up to 60 days amid an ongoing wealth laundering investigation.

Orbán, who led Hungary for 16 years until his ouster successful a parliamentary predetermination connected 12 April, was wide seen arsenic the astir pro-Russian person successful the EU and had a peculiarly prickly narration with Kyiv.

Orbán repeatedly utilized Hungary’s veto powerfulness to stall fiscal assistance to Ukraine and artifact the country's EU membership.

But incoming premier Péter Magyar offered past week to conscionable Zelenskyy to "open a caller section successful bilateral relations" and code a long-running feud implicit the rights of Ukraine's taste Hungarians.

Late past week, the European Union gave last support to a €90 cardinal indebtedness for Ukraine aft Hungary lifted its veto, ending a two-month agelong impasse caused by the Hungarian veto spearheaded by Orbán.

The breakthrough came 2 days aft Zelenskyy announced that the Druzhba pipeline, which carries inexpensive Russian lipid to Hungary and Slovakia, had been repaired and could resume operations.

The interruption of lipid flows done Druzhba was astatine the halfway of Orbán's determination to veto the indebtedness successful February. The last-minute blockage outraged different EU leaders, who furiously condemned it arsenic an "unacceptable" effort to "blackmail."

Magyar, seen arsenic a much mean successor to Orbán, said helium wanted a reset successful relations with Brussels and would measure joining the eurozone.

He is besides seen arsenic little prickly towards Ukraine, saying helium wants Hungary to person affable relations with each of its neighbours.

Additional sources • AP, AFP