Ukraine reports violations in Hungary detention of cash collectors after 28 hours in handcuffs

This is stated in a report by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, as reported by Ukrinform.

It is noted that the Hungarian side was aware that the collectors were unarmed, while the detention of Ukrainian citizens was carried out by the Hungarian Anti-Terrorist Center. An armored personnel carrier was used for the detention, and the Anti-Terrorist Center fighters who carried out the detention were armed with machine guns and grenade launchers.

"Although the detainees had the status of witnesses, they were kept in handcuffs for 28 hours. They were transported blindfolded the entire time. The Ukrainian citizens had their personal belongings, including mobile phones, confiscated and were prevented from informing their relatives, the Ukrainian Embassy in Hungary, or their employer about their detention and whereabouts. Most of the personal belongings seized during the detention were not returned," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

When the health of one of the detainees, who is a person with a disability and requires a special diet and regular medication, deteriorated, medical assistance was provided only after he lost consciousness, the ministry noted, adding that the diabetic patient was forcibly injected with a drug, which caused a sharp rise in his blood sugar level and hypertension, and he had to be taken to hospital.

Photo: Andrii Pyshnyi, Facebook

“Hungarian law enforcement officers did everything possible to deprive the detained Ukrainians of any support. Psychological and physical pressure was exerted on the detainees. In violation of all generally accepted norms, Ukrainian citizens were not given the opportunity to testify in their native language, and the Ukrainians were communicated with in Russian,” the statement said.

The detainees were not given the opportunity to seek legal representation, ignoring both the requests of the detainees and the appeals of the lawyer hired to defend them. Law enforcement officers prevented consuls from visiting the Ukrainians, despite official requests from the Ukrainian embassy.

In a statement to the Ukrainian embassy, the investigative unit of the Hungarian National Tax and Customs Service indicated that a consul could be present during the investigation of the detained compatriots. However, subsequently, the employees of the Hungarian services involved either avoided communication with representatives of the diplomatic mission or provided false information about the whereabouts of Ukrainian citizens.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine considers such actions by the Hungarian authorities to be unacceptable and inappropriate, as they constitute a cynical violation of a number of provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, and the Ukrainian-Hungarian Consular Convention.

"Although there was no evidence of the involvement of the detained Ukrainian citizens in illegal activities and they had the status of witnesses throughout, on March 6, 2026, at the request of the Hungarian Constitution Protection Office, the Hungarian side decided to deport the Ukrainians and ban them from entering the Schengen area for three years. This appears to be a punishment for Ukrainian citizens who did not provide the evidence required by the Hungarian side," the ministry emphasizes.

The ministry reiterates its demand for the immediate return of the stolen vehicles belonging to the Ukrainian state bank and the valuables they were transporting, and stresses the unacceptability of such arbitrary actions, which can be equated with hostage-taking and theft of property. Kyiv also insists on the need for a decisive response at the European level to this state banditry.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demands that all persons guilty of kidnapping Ukrainian citizens, mistreating them, pressuring, intimidating, and mocking them, denying them access to consular assistance, medication, communication, and other violations of their rights, as well as stealing property and valuables belonging to Oschadbank JSC, be brought to justice. Oschadbank.

“The Ukrainian side will seek justice by all available national and international legal means. Ukraine reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response,” the ministry added at the end.

As reported by Ukrinform, on the night of March 6, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that in Budapest, the Hungarian authorities had taken seven Ukrainian citizens, employees of Oschadbank, hostage and stolen the money they were transporting. According to him, the seven Oschadbank employees were traveling in two bank vehicles from Austria to Ukraine and were transporting cash as part of regular services between state banks.

Later that day, the Hungarian tax service confirmed the detention of seven Oschadbank cash collectors and two cars with cash, stating that it was conducting criminal proceedings on suspicion of money laundering.

Later, Hungarian government spokesman Zoltán Kovács announced that the seven Ukrainian cash collectors detained by Hungarian tax and customs authorities would be deported from Hungary.

On March 6, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that Ukrainian citizens refrain from traveling to Hungary amid the kidnapping of employees and theft of Oschadbank property in Budapest.

Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that Hungary had no grounds for detaining Oschadbank employees and their convoy and that its actions violated international law.

On the same day, Sybiha announced that Ukraine had secured the release of seven Ukrainians who had been detained in Budapest and that they had already returned to their homeland.