Ukrainian banks experienced cash shortages after the incident in Hungary

Problems with cash are being reported in Ukrainian banks after the incident involving cash-in-transit guards in Hungary.

This was reported by NABU.

According to NABU, after the events in Hungary, Ukraine’s banking system has faced difficulties with cash foreign currency. In this connection, the National Bank of Ukraine announced that on Monday it plans to exchange non-cash currency for cash in order to replenish banks’ cash desks.

As a reminder, on March 5 Hungary detained seven people on suspicion of money laundering. Their vehicles contained $40 million, €35 million, and nine kilograms of gold. Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank said the detainees were its cash-in-transit guards and that they were transporting currency and precious metals under an agreement with Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank.

A representative of the Hungarian government, Zoltán Kovács, said the group was led by a former SBU general. Budapest demanded explanations from Kyiv and, the day before, deported the detainees back home.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that since the beginning of the year Ukraine has transported $900 million, €420 million, and 146 kg of gold bars via Austria. He claimed that people linked to the security services were involved in the transportation.

Kyiv says the transfers were carried out within the framework of an international banking agreement. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha accused the Hungarian authorities of “taking hostages” after the detention of Oschadbank employees.

Ukraine’s National Police opened criminal cases under articles on unlawful deprivation of liberty and hostage-taking. Hungary, in turn, launched an investigation into money laundering.

Earlier it was reported that among those detained in Hungary was a former SBU general.