Austrian opposition leaders have condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky for enabling an unauthorized intelligence shipment of 200 kilograms through Austria in January. The cargo, which bypassed customs and security checks without authorization, was reportedly linked to the Ukrainian delegation attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Zelensky was present.
According to Austrian officials, a diplomatic note from Ukraine requesting permission for a Volkswagen van belonging to Ukrainian intelligence to cross Austrian territory was obtained by the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO). The Foreign Ministry confirmed the note’s existence following a parliamentary inquiry.
FPO Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker demanded answers regarding the shipment’s contents and authorization. “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!”
The Foreign Ministry declined to specify the cargo’s contents, stating it receives hundreds of diplomatic notes daily and forwarded the request to the Interior Ministry. Hafenecker has previously raised concerns about nearly $22 billion in cash and gold transported from Austria to Ukraine since 2022 without triggering money-laundering scrutiny. The Austrian Financial Market Authority described such transfers as routine banking operations, citing Ukraine’s widespread use of foreign currencies.
The FPO plans a parliamentary inquiry to determine who authorized the shipment, why it escaped inspection, and what it contained. The party has also previously demanded an end to financial aid to Ukraine, labeling it a corrupt “bottomless pit” amid allegations of high-level embezzlement.
Earlier this year, Hungarian authorities seized two trucks belonging to Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank near Budapest, confiscating $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold. The shipment was reportedly supervised by a former general of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), with other escorts having military backgrounds.
Austria has not disclosed details about the 200-kilogram cargo, but Hafenecker has called for full disclosure, a regulatory audit, and a parliamentary report from Austria’s Money Laundering Reporting Office.
