Hungary seizes millions of euros in cash and gold from Ukrainian convoy

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Source: The Guardian

An increasingly acrimonious spat between Hungary and Ukraine has escalated further, as Budapest impounded two Ukrainian armoured bank vehicles carrying millions of euros of hard cash as well as bars of gold.

Seven Ukrainian citizens accompanying the convoy were also arrested. Hungarian officials said the detained Ukrainians had intelligence links and suggested the money could be of dubious origin, while Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, accused Budapest of “taking hostages and stealing money”.

Sybiha also accused the pro-Russian Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, of cooking up the scandal for political gain, ahead of Hungarian elections next month.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/06/hungary-seizes-millions-euros-cash-gold-ukrainian-convoy

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Orban is desperate. The Hungarian elections are in April and he is down, from the latest polling I've seen, by double digit percentages. So what does the despot do? He kidnaps a Ukrainian bank convoy in an attempt to drum up an anti-Ukrainian controversy. Well into the future, Ukrainians will not look kindly upon Hungary and who can blame them? IMHO, Orban is making himself look like a doofus.

Another link on this issue from the Ukrainian Press Office of Ukrinform: https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-polytics/4098764-detention-of-ukrainians-in-hungary-is-part-of-orbans-blackmail-and-election-campaign-says-sybiha.html

[niyad]

1. Seriously, viktor? Consequences could prove very interesting.

[quakerboy]

2. Whats more valuble/useful to Orban/Hungary

being part of the Putin/Erdewhan/Trump Axis, or the European alliances?

[blue-wave]

4. I would venture to guess

there is an undisclosed personal gain for Orban by helping Putin. The EU has stepped-up and has helped Hungary with millions. Orban just keeps poking at them with a stick.

Even so, it should be over in a month. It's likely Orban will lose the April election. He can then retire to comfy confines in Siberia.

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

3. But there was this, too: 'Not acceptable' -- EU rebukes Zelensky over Orban 'threat'

The EU is in a spot of bother because they let Hungary in, but not Ukraine. The also, like NATO, seem to have no mechanism for disciplining members or expelling them, which reminds me of the Democratic Party a bit.

https://kyivindependent.com/eu-hungarian-opposition-rebuke-zelensky-over-remarks-on-orban/

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5. Yeah, the Druzhba pipeline

Last edited Fri Mar 6, 2026, 10:12 PM - Edit history (1)

was blown up by Russia. Orban is blaming Ukraine for the oil disruption. How so? Orban has expressed outright hostility toward Ukraine for years. Even as his buddy Putin was and still is blowing up women and children throughout Ukraine. If Orban can't see the error in his judgement, he is a moral degenerate.

On edit: Now Orban is threatening to take care of the Druzhba pipeline shutdown "by any means necessary." What is he trying to do? Start WWIII?

[mitch96]

6. Yup, the Druzhba pipeline was blown up by ruzzia and Ukraine will not allow ruzzian workers into Ukraine

to fix it.. That's Orbans rub.. So to piss off Orban, Ukraine blew up the pumping station in ruzzia that feeds the Druzhba pipeline. So now it's got two holes.. uff I hope when Orban's gone the gold will flow..
m

[blue-wave]

8. Ukraine didn't blow up the Russian section of pipeline

to piss off Orban, they blew up a junction to deny Russia the oil revenue. The pipeline supplied more countries than just Hungary. The difference is that the other countries took the last four years to look for other sources of oil. Orban stubbornly refused to do so, supporting Putin the whole way.

Below is a link to a map of the pipeline. I'm not sure which junction was blown up, but you can see this is a network of pipeline.

https://eurodialogue.org/Druzhba-Pipeline-Map

On edit: To clarify, the Russians first blew up the section of pipeline in Ukraine, stopping the flow of oil into Hungary. The Ukrainians later hit the pipeline inside of Russia proper, stopping the flow to other branches of the pipeline. Orban wants Ukraine to repair the section in Ukraine that the Russians blew up. I say hell no!

[SunSeeker]

7. Orban is basically a train robber. Fuck that guy. He should be arrested if the law meant anything. nt

[Bayard]

9. Highway robbery. Literally.

"it was not immediately clear what would happen to the seized money and gold."