DAILY-UKRAINIAN-HE SOURCES

[52701] Hungary returned the seized funds and assets of Oschadbank to Ukraine in March

Hungary returns assets worth tens of millions of dollars to Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced today, May 6, 2026, that Hungary has returned to Ukraine all the funds and values confiscated from employees of Oschadbank last March. This involves 40 million dollars, 35 million euros, and 9 kilograms of gold, which were seized during the arrest of seven bank employees while they were on their way from Austria.

According to Zelenskyy, "This is an important step in relations with Hungary" and an expression of a "constructive and civilized approach." Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described it as "a sign of Hungary's desire to develop relations based on mutual respect and healthy pragmatism," as reported in Ми Україна.

The incident caused great tension in March. Ukrainian officials, including ЦАПЛІЄНКО_UKRAINE FIGHTS, called the asset seizure and arrests "state terrorism and extortion." Media outlets such as Україна Online cited reports in The Guardian claiming that one of the employees was even interrogated under the influence of a "truth serum," a claim added to Hungary's allegations at the time that the incident involved suspected money laundering.

While most Ukrainian Telegram channels welcomed the move, the channel Березовый сок, known for its critical stance toward the government, raised questions regarding the circumstances of transporting gold without proper bank packaging and the identity of those accompanying the investment team, asking "for whom the gold bars were being transported."

Radio Svoboda, which reported on the event, noted that authorities in Hungary did not officially respond to claims regarding the return of the assets, and that the Ukrainian bank plans to assess the damage caused to the equipment during the period when the vehicles and funds were held by Hungary.