Overview
- Hungarian investigators told Ukrainian lawyers the two Oschadbank armored vehicles will be handed back on March 12, while the seized cash and 9 kilograms of gold will remain in Hungary.
- Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s March 9 decree authorizes the tax and customs authority to keep the assets for up to 60 days and investigate their origin, destination, intended use, and possible criminal or terrorist links.
- Transport Minister János Lázár tied the retention to the halted Druzhba oil pipeline and suggested similar operations could occur if Russian oil transit to Hungary is not restored.
- Hungary’s parliament passed a resolution opposing the start of talks on Ukraine’s EU accession and urging the government to avoid sending money or weapons to Kyiv.
- Ukraine condemned the seizure as theft and “state terrorism,” said the shipment was a routine transfer from Raiffeisen in Vienna to Kyiv, and noted the seven detained Oschadbank employees were expelled to Ukraine.