Ukraine Urges Citizens to Avoid Hungary After Reported Abductions and Seizure of Bank Shipment
Mar 6th 2026
Kyiv warned on March 6 that it cannot guarantee the safety of Ukrainians in Hungary after reports of seven nationals detained in Budapest and the detention of an armored banking convoy carrying cash and gold.
- Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on March 6 advised citizens to refrain from traveling to Hungary following reports of seven Ukrainians taken into custody in Budapest.
- Kyiv warned Ukrainians to avoid transit through Hungarian territory and asked for alternative routes when possible.
- The ministry alerted Ukrainian and European businesses to the risk of arbitrary seizure of assets in Hungary.
- Hungarian authorities stopped an armored convoy carrying cash and precious metals bound for Ukraine from Austria, a routine transfer between Raiffeisen Bank International and state-owned Oschadbank.
- Oschadbank estimated the detained shipment contained about $40 million, €35 million and roughly nine kilograms of gold, and GPS data suggested the vehicles may be in central Budapest.