Hungary has returned $82 million in cash and gold to Ukraine after a brief seizure that sparked a diplomatic row. The shipment, which included $40 million and €35 million in cash, as well as 9kg of gold worth about $1.5 million, was detained by Hungarian authorities last Thursday on suspicion of money laundering. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ordered the assets held for up to 60 days while the tax authority investigated.
The seizure followed a dispute over gas supplies, with Hungary and Slovakia accusing Kyiv of stalling on repairs to an oil pipeline hit by an apparent Russian drone attack. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the move as “banditry” and urged European leaders to speak out. The Ukrainian crew of the transport was also temporarily detained.
On the battlefield, both sides claimed gains. Ukraine’s Maj Gen Oleksandr Komarenko said forces had retaken over 400 square kilometres in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin claimed Russian forces now hold 83-85% of the Donbas, up from 75% six months ago.
The US has proposed new Russia-Ukraine talks mediated by Washington, possibly in Switzerland or Turkey, Zelenskyy said. Prisoner swaps could be on the agenda. Meanwhile, a UN inquiry found that Russia’s deportation of thousands of Ukrainian children amounts to a crime against humanity, with 80% of confirmed cases still not returned.
Ukrainian forces struck a missile component factory in Russia’s Bryansk region using British Storm Shadow missiles, killing six civilians and injuring 37, according to local officials. A Russian strike on Sloviansk killed four and injured 16, including a 14-year-old girl.
EU officials condemned the Venice Biennale’s decision to allow Russia to participate, warning of possible funding cuts. Kyiv had urged the event to exclude Russia, as was done in 2022 and 2024.
