Seizure of Assets: Oschadbank Reports Video Falsification by Hungarian Authorities

Oschadbank has officially reported that Hungarian law enforcement agencies have falsified a video concerning the case of illegal detention of funds and valuables belonging to the bank. This announcement was made on April 8, 2026, when Hungary's National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) provided updates on the status of the investigation.

In its statement, NAV confirmed that the banknotes transported by Oschadbank are new, recently printed, and have not been in circulation. This aligns fully with the legitimate activities of Oschadbank, which supplies cash currency to Ukraine in accordance with an international agreement with Raiffeisen Bank (Austria).

The document also indicates that NAV released a link to a video, which was reportedly obtained from the mobile phone of one of the cash transporters detained in Hungary. The detained Ukrainian citizens are classified as witnesses. However, for nearly a month since their detention, the investigative body has not responded to numerous inquiries regarding the legal grounds for the seizure of the employees' property, including the mobile phone of one of the cash transporters, as well as access to the information contained on it.

Under these circumstances, Oschadbank believes that the confiscation of the mobile phone, its continued retention, and access to its contents are unlawful. Consequently, the publication of the video obtained from this device is also considered illegal.

In its statement, Oschadbank declared, "Oschadbank officially states that the published video has been falsified. The video contains audio of conversations among the cash transport team. Hungarian subtitles were added for the Hungarian audience, including a phrase 'corruption money' that does not exist in the audio track. This specifically added phrase forms the basis for NAV's conclusions linking this video to the case of illegal detention of Oschadbank’s funds."

Oschadbank also announced its intention to demand the immediate return of all unlawfully seized assets and reserves the right to take legal action against the dissemination of misinformation. In this regard, Oschadbank has engaged a leading international auditing firm to verify compliance with the contractual framework and all procedures for transporting cash and valuables.

It is worth recalling that on the night of March 6, 2026, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha stated that Hungarian authorities detained seven Ukrainian citizens, employees of Oschadbank, and seized the money they were transporting. According to him, the seven Oschadbank employees were in two bank vehicles transiting between Austria and Ukraine, carrying cash as part of regular servicing between state banks.

By midday, the Hungarian tax authority confirmed the detention of the seven cash transporters from Oschadbank and the two vehicles carrying cash that were en route from Austria to Ukraine, stating that a criminal investigation was underway on suspicion of money laundering. The Hungarian government adopted a special resolution regarding the cash and valuables seized from the cash transport vehicles of the Ukrainian bank.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Hungary's actions in the situation with Oschadbank's cash transporters as banditry. This situation has sparked widespread resonance in Ukraine and beyond, highlighting the importance of protecting the rights of Ukrainian citizens abroad.

Oschadbank continues to monitor the developments and is prepared to take all necessary measures to protect its interests and those of its clients.