Ukraine says Ukrainian bank employees detained with cash shipment in Hungary

FILE PHOTO: European Political Community Summit at the Puskas Arena in Budapest

FILE PHOTO: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attend the European Political Community Summit at the Puskas Arena, in Budapest, Hungary, November 7, 2024. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo/File Photo

Source: REUTERS

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused Hungary early on Friday of detaining seven employees of Ukraine's state savings bank while they were transporting cash from Austria back to Ukraine.

Andrii Sybiha was writing on the X social media platform after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Budapest would force Ukraine with "political and financial tools" to reopen the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.

Sybiha said the employees were travelling in two cars through Hungary when they were detained. He said their whereabouts were unknown at the moment.

"In fact, we are talking about Hungary taking hostages and stealing money," Sybiha wrote. "If this is the 'force' announced earlier today by Mr Orban, then this is a force of a criminal gang. This is state terrorism and racketeering."

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This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters