Photo: Ukrzaliznytsia / Telegram
Kyiv has warned that businesses, including European companies, face a risk of property theft in Hungary. Following the incident involving the detention of cash-in-transit vehicles belonging to Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank, the Foreign Ministry is urging Ukrainians to avoid traveling to Hungary, citing the danger of arbitrary actions by the authorities in Budapest.
“In connection with the abduction of seven Ukrainian citizens and the theft of state bank property in Budapest, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends that Ukrainian citizens refrain from traveling to Hungary due to the impossibility of guaranteeing their safety amid arbitrary actions by Hungarian authorities,” the ministry said. Citizens are advised to choose alternative transit routes to avoid passing through Hungary.
The Foreign Ministry has also addressed Ukrainian and European businesses, highlighting the threats of property seizure in Hungary. It recommends that companies take these risks into account in any business activities in the country.
Yesterday, Hungarian authorities reportedly detained two cash-in-transit vehicles of Ukraine’s Oschadbank, along with $40 million, €35 million, nine kilograms of gold, and seven employees responsible for transporting the cargo, under an international agreement with Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank. The current whereabouts of these assets and employees are unknown. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry considers the Hungarian authorities’ actions as effectively abducting Ukrainian citizens while seizing state bank property. Meanwhile, Budapest claims the detention was due to suspicions of money laundering, and consular officials have still not been granted access.
