National Bank demands Hungary to release Oschadbank cash-in-transit employees

The National Bank is demanding the release of employees of the Oschadbank cash-in-transit team who are being illegally held on the territory of Hungary.

The National Bank of Ukraine stated this in a declaration regarding the seizure of Oschadbank armored vehicles and the illegal detention of members of the cash-in-transit team in Hungary.

According to Oschadbank, on March 5, 2026, two armored cash-in-transit vehicles were detained by representatives of Hungarian law enforcement agencies.

Seven bank employees were part of the cash-in-transit teams. Their current whereabouts are unknown, and there is no mobile communication with them. According to GPS data, the Oschadbank vehicles may be located in the center of Budapest.

The cash-in-transit teams were carrying out a routine transportation of a large amount of foreign currency and banking metals under an international contract between Raiffeisen Bank International AG (Austria) and Oschadbank. The cargo was documented in accordance with international transportation rules and current European customs procedures.

"We demand that the Hungarian authorities immediately release the citizens of Ukraine and provide an official explanation for the reasons for their detention, as well as information about the location of the cash-in-transit vehicles and the corresponding cargo."

As Ukrinform reported, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine twice summoned Hungary's charge d'affaires over the Hungarian side's distortion of Ukraine's position regarding the Druzhba oil pipeline and false accusations against Ukraine.

Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban wrote an open letter to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky calling for the immediate reopening of the Druzhba oil pipeline.