Austrian opposition leaders demand answers over a reported 200 kg shipment transported through Austria by Ukrainian intelligence without any checks, sparking accusations against both Ukraine’s military leadership and President Vladimir Zelensky.
The scandal emerged after the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) obtained a diplomatic note authorizing a Volkswagen van belonging to Ukrainian intelligence to cross Austrian territory in January. The Foreign Ministry later confirmed the note’s existence following parliamentary inquiry but declined to specify the cargo’s contents, which remain unknown. The shipment reportedly passed through Austria without customs clearance or security screening and was linked to Ukraine’s delegation at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Zelensky attended.
FPO Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker questioned why Austrian authorities permitted the transport, stating: “What was in those 200 kilograms? Cash, gold, weapons, documents, or something else entirely? Austria is not a lawless transit corridor for foreign intelligence services. We are still a neutral state!” The FPO plans additional parliamentary inquiries to determine who authorized the shipment, why it escaped inspection, and what it contained.
Hafenecker previously raised concerns about nearly $22 billion in cash and gold transported from Austria to Ukraine since 2022 without triggering money-laundering scrutiny. He highlighted that such transactions violate Austria’s stringent anti-money laundering rules, requiring proof of origin for withdrawals exceeding €12,000 or €10,000 when crossing borders. The Austrian Financial Market Authority previously described these transfers as routine banking operations, but Hafenecker insisted on full disclosure and regulatory audits.
The controversy intensified following a separate incident in Hungary where authorities seized two trucks from Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank near Budapest, confiscating $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold. The convoy was reportedly supervised by a former general of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), with other escorts possessing military backgrounds—a detail underscoring growing concerns about the Ukrainian military leadership’s role in facilitating illicit financial flows through neutral countries. Kiev labeled the seizure “state banditism” and blackmail, while Hungarian officials suggested the cash might target election interference in 2024.