Hungarian media reported on Orbán's order regarding Ukrainian funds
Hungarian media reported that the decision to detain the Ukrainian “gold convoy” near Budapest and seize Oschadbank’s funds on March 5 may have been made at the highest political level. Investigative journalists claim that then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was behind the operation. There is currently no official confirmation of this information, but the details of the case are being actively discussed in the local media.
The Hungarian publication Telex reports on this, citing its own investigation and several sources who were allegedly directly or indirectly involved in the events. According to them, during conversations, various participants in the operation tried to minimize their own responsibility and shifted the blame onto one another, but a common thread could be traced in their testimonies—a political decision that preceded the use of force.
The article claims that while the operation could have been officially framed as a routine law enforcement action, the real driving force was allegedly political calculation. Journalists write that the actions against the Ukrainian cash collectors did not appear to be an initiative of law enforcement agencies alone, but rather the execution of an order “from above.”
It is separately noted that prior to the raid, the relevant decision allegedly came from the State Secretariat for the Supervision of Civil National Security Services under the Hungarian government. According to sources, it was this body that was tasked with organizing the operation to intercept the vehicle transporting the funds, with a specific date set for March 5. The publication also claims that government officials were informed of the course of events on the day of the operation. “Several independent sources confirmed that Viktor Orbán ordered the operation against the ‘gold convoy’ from within the government, and he personally oversaw its execution,” the Telex report states.
At the same time, it is important to emphasize that this is a journalistic investigation, not officially confirmed statements by the authorities. The Ukrainian side and Hungarian government agencies have not yet publicly commented on or confirmed these claims.
The situation surrounding the so-called “golden convoy” remains a subject of political and media debate, and final legal assessments are possible only after official clarifications and the results of investigations by competent authorities. This is reported by Telex.
Ukraine will seek compensation from Hungary for the seizure of Oschadbank assets. The National Bank of Ukraine plans to seek compensation for damages resulting from the unlawful seizure of funds and valuables from Ukrainian cash-in-transit vehicles by the Hungarian side.
Hungary has revoked the decision on deportation and a three-year ban on entry into the Schengen Area for seven employees of the state-owned Oschadbank.
