Hungary detained seven Ukrainian bank employees and seized $40M, €35M, and 9kg of gold, accusing money laundering; Ukraine calls it hostage-taking linked to pipeline disputes.

Hungary detained seven Ukrainian Oschadbank employees and seized two armored vehicles carrying $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold while en route from Austria to Ukraine, citing money laundering suspicions. Ukrainian officials condemned the action as hostage-taking and state terrorism, accusing Hungary of using the incident to pressure Kyiv over restarting Russian oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine blames on a Russian drone strike. Hungary, facing an upcoming election, has suspended key shipments to Ukraine and expelled the detainees, escalating tensions within the EU.