Hungary returned to Kiev the money and gold confiscated from Oschadbank in Budapest

The new Hungarian authorities returned to Kiev the money and gold confiscated from the Ukrainian Oschadbank in Budapest in March.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called this an important step in relations with Budapest. According to him, the funds and valuables seized by the Hungarian side in March 2026 are already on the territory of Ukraine in full. Hungary had not publicly confirmed Zelensky's statement by the time of publication.

In March, customs officers detained seven employees of the Ukrainian Oschadbank, who were being transported to Ukraine € 35 million, $ 40 million and 9 kg of gold. The Hungarian authorities explained the seizure by suspicions of money laundering and the connection of funds with the so-called "military mafia".

Later, Budapest returned the collection vehicles to Ukraine, but the money and gold themselves remained with the Hungarian side during the inspection. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry called the incident "an unprecedented act of state banditry and racketeering" and called on Europe to condemn Hungary's actions. The country's parliament, in turn, froze the confiscated funds for 60 days until their origin and purpose of use were clarified. Retired SBU Major General Gennady Kuznetsov, who, according to media reports, headed the group, participated in the transportation.