Ukraine’s MFA responds to Szijjártó over seized Ukrainian funds

08.03.2026 17:10

Ukrinform

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhii Tykhyi responded to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, who had questioned whose interests Ukrainian cash collectors were serving while transporting funds in transit through Hungarian territory.

According to Ukrinform, Tykhyi wrote about this on the social media platform X.

“In Ukraine we say: На злодієві шапка горить. Meaning ‘A guilty conscience needs no accuser’. This is exactly the case,” the post reads.

Earlier, Szijjártó suggested in his own post that the funds might have been intended for someone in Hungary, hinting at the Hungarian opposition.

“We are waiting for the return of the stolen funds and are preparing concrete legal action. And we will also demand justice and accountability,” Tykhyi wrote.

As reported, on the night of March 6, Andrii Sybiha, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, said that Hungarian authorities in Budapest had taken seven Ukrainian citizens – employees of Oschadbank – hostage and seized the money they were transporting.

According to him, the seven Oschadbank employees were traveling in two bank vehicles in transit between Austria and Ukraine, carrying cash as part of routine servicing between state-owned banks.