Hungary seized Ukrainian bank staff carrying gold bars, millions in cash

Hungarian authorities detained seven employees of Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank on March 5 while they were transiting the country between Austria and Ukraine, seizing two armored vehicles carrying approximately $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kilograms of gold. The Hungarian tax and customs authority said the detentions were part of a criminal investigation into suspected money laundering. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had not been granted consular access to the detained employees and condemned the move as “state terrorism,” accusing Hungary of effectively taking hostages and warning that Ukraine could respond with sanctions or other restrictive measures.

Hungarian officials framed the incident as part of a broader investigation into large cross-border cash transfers. Government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs confirmed that the detainees would be expelled, while Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto demanded explanations from Kyiv, suggesting the funds might be linked to what he described as a “Ukrainian military mafia.” Hungarian officials claimed that since January similar transports had allegedly moved up to $900 million, €420 million and 146 kilograms of gold through the country. Kyiv rejects these allegations as baseless, saying the shipment was part of routine interbank operations conducted under wartime conditions, when large volumes of currency and bank metals are often transported by land rather than electronically.

The episode comes amid escalating tensions between Kyiv and Budapest over the suspension of the Druzhba pipeline, which delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not directly comment on the seizure but suggested during a March 6 radio interview that Hungary could block assets or transit important to Ukraine until oil shipments resume. “We will stop things that are important to Ukraine passing through Hungary until we get approval for oil shipments,” Orbán said, adding that “the Ukrainians will run out of money sooner than we will run out of oil.” Analysts say the dispute is unfolding against the backdrop of Hungary’s upcoming parliamentary elections, during which Orban has repeatedly accused Ukraine and President Volodymyr Zelensky of interfering in Hungarian politics.

Three people injured in Russian Shahed drone attack on Mykolaiv

Three men were injured after Russia attacked the city of Mykolaiv with Shahed-type kamikaze drones, regional authorities said.

Vitalii Kim, head of the Mykolaiv Oblast Military Administration, said the injured men are aged 19, 23, and 42. Two of them were hospitalized, while the third received medical treatment at the scene. The attack also damaged a residential house.

Ukraine's human rights commissioner appeals to Russia over abduction of 19 residents

Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary human rights commissioner, has appealed to Russia’s human rights ombudsperson regarding 19 residents of the village of Sopych in the Esman community of Sumy Oblast who were likely abducted by Russian forces and taken to Russia.

Lubinets said contact with the residents was initially lost, and later their interviews appeared on a Russian television channel.

He stressed that the forced deportation of civilians violates international humanitarian law and the laws and customs of war. Lubinets said he had urgently demanded access to the Ukrainians, information about their health and detention conditions, and their prompt return home. Ukraine insists on compliance with international law and the protection of its citizens’ rights.

Russia launched a large-scale drone attack on Kryvyi Rih damaging about 30 houses

Kryvyi Rih came under a large-scale Russian drone attack during the night of March 4–5, damaging a nine-story residential building and an infrastructure facility, according to Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city’s defence council. Local media reported explosions in the city at around 02:00.

Later it was confirmed that Russian drones struck the residential building and the infrastructure site. Firefighters and rescue teams were deployed to the scene, while two assistance centres were set up to support residents affected by the attack.

By around 04:30, the city's defense council said no injuries had been reported. However, about 30 buildings were damaged in the strike. Two fires were extinguished and another was still being contained as emergency crews continued their response.

Putin deploys political strategists and intelligence to help keep Hungary's Orban in power

Vladimir Putin has instructed Russian political strategists and military intelligence to interfere in Hungary’s parliamentary elections in April to help Prime Minister Viktor Orban remain in power, investigative journalists reported.

According to an investigation by VSquare, Putin tasked his first deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko with overseeing the operation. Kiriyenko previously played a key role in Russia’s alleged interference in the 2024 presidential election in Moldova, where Moscow reportedly used vote-buying networks, troll farms and local activists to influence public opinion against pro-Western President Maia Sandu.

Investigators say a similar campaign is now being prepared in Hungary together with Vadim Titov, head of the Russian administration’s Directorate for Strategic Partnership and Cooperation. The plan reportedly involves stationing social-media manipulation specialists at the Russian embassy in Budapest. Three individuals have already received diplomatic passports, which would give them a degree of immunity.

The investigation also found that Kiriyenko maintains contacts with some organisers of the campaign of Orban’s ruling Fidesz party. According to VSquare, Orban’s anti-Ukrainian rhetoric may also provide fertile ground for Russian disinformation campaigns, which tend to be more effective in environments where similar narratives are already present.