Orban orders Hungarian government to hold over $80 million in seized Ukrainian cash, gold amid probe
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Orban has tasked the Hungarian tax and customs authority to determine the origin and purpose of the detained shipments and probe possible links between seven expelled Ukrainians and "criminal or terrorist organizations," according to a decree.
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Europe Orban orders Hungarian government to hold over $80 million in seized Ukrainian cash, gold amid probe March 10, 2026 4:11 pm • 3 min read by Martin Fornusek, The Kyiv Independent news desk Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban ordered the government to hold cash and gold seized from a Ukrainian bank for up to 60 days amid an ongoing investigation, the Associated Press reported on March 10, citing a decree. Hungarian authorities seized two vehicles belonging to Ukraine 's Oschadbank state bank on March 5 while they were carrying $40 million, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold from Austria to Ukraine via Hungary . Seven bank employees were detained before being expelled on March 6. According to Ukraine's Foreign Ministry, Hungarian authorities subjected them to "physical and psychological pressure." Budapest, whose government is broadly regarded as the most Moscow-friendly in the EU, linked the shipment's detention to suspicions of money laundering. Become a member – go ad‑free Kyiv has denounced the move as "state terrorism" and demanded the return of the funds. The episode marks further escalation in already strained relations between the two neighbors. Orban has tasked the Hungarian tax and customs authority to determine the origin and purpose of the detained shipments and probe possible links between the expelled Ukrainians and "criminal or terrorist organizations," according to the decree signed on March 9. The probe is also meant to determine whether the shipment was meant to benefit "Hungarian criminal organizations, terrorist organizations present in Hungary, or political organizations." The news comes after Hungarian Transport Minister Janos Lazar alleged that the government has evidence of Ukraine funding the opposition Tisza Party, which is leading Orban's Fidesz in polls ahead of the April parliamentary elections. Become a member – go ad‑free Orban's government has repeatedly accused Peter Magyar's Tisza of collusion with Kyiv, without providi...
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