{"id":1400984,"date":"2026-06-03T13:57:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/the-seizure-of-sberbanks-cash-in-transit-vehicles-in-hungary-was-orbans-personal-decision-media\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T13:57:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T10:57:23","slug":"the-seizure-of-sberbanks-cash-in-transit-vehicles-in-hungary-was-orbans-personal-decision-media","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prm.ua\/en\/the-seizure-of-sberbanks-cash-in-transit-vehicles-in-hungary-was-orbans-personal-decision-media\/","title":{"rendered":"The seizure of Sberbank’s cash-in-transit vehicles in Hungary was Orban’s personal decision \u2013 media"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The detention of Ukrainian cash collectors and the confiscation of Sberbank<\/span><\/span> funds in March 2026 occurred on the personal orders of then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n<\/span><\/span> , and there were no sufficient legal grounds for the operation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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This is stated<\/a> in an investigation by the Hungarian publication Telex.<\/p>\n

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According to journalists, on the evening of March 5, two Oschadbank cash-in-transit vehicles carrying seven employees were detained in Hungary while transporting funds under an agreement with Raiffeisen Bank International<\/span><\/span> . The Ukrainians were fired the following day, and the confiscated funds were not returned until May.<\/p>\n

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At the time, Hungarian authorities attributed their actions to suspicions of money laundering and referred to the operation as the “Ukrainian Gold Convoy.” Meanwhile, the Austrian central bank stated that transporting cash between countries was a normal and legitimate banking practice.<\/p>\n

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According to Telex, sources within Hungarian authorities confirmed that the operation had a political motive. They said the real motive was Orb\u00e1n’s reaction to problems with Russian oil supplies through the Druzhba<\/span><\/span> pipeline. That same day, the politician publicly stated that Hungary would force the Ukrainians to resume oil supplies.<\/p>\n

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Journalists also discovered that in early March, government agencies received instructions to conduct a raid on March 5. Several independent sources confirmed that the decision was made personally by Orb\u00e1n and that he received regular reports on the operation’s progress.<\/p>\n

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To detain the Ukrainians, special forces from the anti-terrorism center, rather than regular tax service units, were deployed. Some interviewees attributed this to potential risks, while others believed this format was intended to maximize political impact.<\/p>\n

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Following Orban’s Fidesz<\/span><\/span> party’s defeat in the elections, Hungarian authorities returned confiscated funds to Ukraine, and the prosecutor’s office opened proceedings for the illegal detention of Ukrainian cash collectors.<\/p>\n

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Commenting on the investigation, Hungary’s current Prime Minister P\u00e9ter Magyar<\/span><\/span> said Orb\u00e1n should be held accountable for the actions of law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the case. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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It was previously reported that Ukraine had returned Sberbank funds and valuables seized by Hungarian security services in March of this year during the arrest of Ukrainian cash collectors.<\/a><\/p>\n

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As a reminder, Hungarian authorities are prepared to hand over two seized Oschadbank vehicles to Ukraine, but have no plans to return the funds or gold.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Also follow “Pryamy”<\/strong> on Facebook<\/a> , X<\/a> , Telegram<\/a> and Instagram.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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