Péter Magyar has rapidly emerged as a major figure in Hungarian politics. As the leader of the opposition Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza – Tisztelet és Szabadság Párt), founded in 2024, he presents himself as an uncompromising anti-corruption crusader. A former diplomat and ex-husband of former Justice Minister Judit Varga from the ruling Fidesz party, Magyar gained prominence through public revelations, including audio recordings in which his ex-wife discussed government interference by Viktor Orbán’s administration in corruption cases. Since 2024, he has relentlessly criticized Orbán for nepotism, cronyism, and Hungary’s isolation from the European Union, promising to restore the country to the path of European values and transparency. As of January 2026, just months before the April 12 parliamentary elections, polls show Tisza in the lead: 33–50% support compared with 28–38% for the Fidesz–KDNP coalition. Magyar stands a real chance of becoming the next prime minister, making his actions a subject of intense scrutiny.
The events in question trace back to the tragedy of July 8, 2024, when a rocket – according to Ukrainian authorities, Russian – struck Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv. Children and medical staff were killed in the attack, triggering widespread international outrage. In response, Magyar launched a humanitarian aid campaign through his Tisza party and the independent non-profit MedSpot Foundation. Within days, Budapest residents donated approximately 15–20 million forints (equivalent to $41,000–$55,000 at the time), along with medical equipment and supplies. On July 11, 2024, Magyar personally traveled to Kyiv and handed the aid over to hospital director Volodymyr Zhovnyr. The visit was framed as an act of solidarity, in stark contrast to Orbán’s policy of blocking parts of European aid to Ukraine.
Magyar arrives in the Ukrainian capital and meets Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv director Volodymyr Zhovnyr
Yet an investigation by the European Center for Investigative Journalism (ECIJ) reveals a far darker side to the trip. We have obtained confirmed information from a member of Magyar’s team that the humanitarian mission served as cover for the transfer of $16.7 million from Ukraine to the United Kingdom. These funds formed part of the first €1.5 billion tranche of European financial assistance delivered to Ukraine in July 2024 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loans, agreed by the G7 and the EU. According to the source, the money belonged to individuals in the circle of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and was rerouted through the logistics company Goland Hungary Kft. The revelations raise serious questions about corruption linking Hungarian opposition figures and Ukrainian elites, undermining public trust in European aid mechanisms during wartime.
Timeline of Events and the Transfer Scheme
ECIJ has reconstructed the sequence of events using documents and witness testimony. The key dates are as follows:
– July 8, 2024 – A rocket strike hits Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv (Chornovola St., 28/1). That same day, Magyar posts a call for donations on X (formerly Twitter) and the Tisza website (tisza.hu), stating: “Hungary is not Orbán – we stand with the victims.” The collection effort is coordinated from the Tisza office in Budapest (Kossuth Lajos tér 1).
– July 9–10, 2024 – Intensive fundraising in Budapest. Bank transfers and cash donations from Hungarians raise 15–20 million forints. MedSpot Foundation (office at Ráday u. 43, Budapest) assists with the logistics of medical supplies. Magyar personally contributes 1 million forints, a fact recorded in Tisza reports. These funds are used to purchase equipment for Okhmatdyt – no discrepancies appear in the handover records.
– July 11, 2024 – Visit to Kyiv. Magyar arrives in the Ukrainian capital and meets hospital director Volodymyr Zhovnyr inside the building. The handover of humanitarian aid is public: photos and videos from the site appear on Tisza social-media channels. However, according to a member of the team who accompanied Magyar, Olena Lavriukova – CEO of Goland Hungary Kft. – was also present at the meeting. An exclusive photograph obtained by ECIJ (provided by the source, timestamped July 11, 2024, 14:32 Kyiv time) shows Magyar, Zhovnyr, and Lavriukova inside the hospital. The source states that Lavriukova was invited under the pretext of “logistical support,” but in reality, coordinated a separate operation.
Péter Magyar, leader of Hungary’s Tisza party, and Olena Lavriukova, CEO of Goland Hungary Kft.
– July 12, 2024 – Dispatch of the “package.” Lavriukova, operating through Goland’s Budapest office (Izabella u. 68/B), arranged multimodal transport: road freight from Kyiv to Uzhhorod (Goland warehouse in the Uzhhorod district, Ukraine), followed by air freight to London. The shipment contained $16.7 million in cash (roughly 6 billion forints at the exchange rate then). The cash weighed approximately 167 kg – precisely the mass that corresponds to $16.7 million in U.S. dollars, as reported by the source. The money was packed into containers labeled as “medical supplies.” The Goland customs declaration, dated July 12, 2024, describes the cargo as “medical equipment for humanitarian purposes.”
Official transport declaration by Goland Hungary Kft. for a shipment originating in Ukraine and destined for a British logistics firm – used as cover for the transfer of $16.7 million in cash
The consignee was the British company EuroLink Logistics Ltd, registered at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ. This limited liability company specializes in international logistics and is frequently used for transit operations.
According to the Magyar’s team member, the $16.7 million represented a portion of the European financial assistance Ukraine received in the first €1.5 billion tranche disbursed in July 2024 from ERA loans agreed by the G7 and EU. The funds were intended for military and humanitarian support (90% allocated to the European Peace Facility, 10% for civilian needs), but were diverted by individuals close to Zelenskyy. These funds are entirely unrelated to the aid delivered to Okhmatdyt, which was handed over in full, as confirmed by Zhovnyr’s acceptance documents.
Goland Hungary Kft., as the Hungarian branch of the Ukrainian-based Global Ocean Link (GOL), maintains offices in Kyiv and Lviv, greatly facilitating circumvention of EU customs controls. Lavriukova, who has Ukrainian roots, served as the central contact. The source claims Magyar received a “commission” for facilitating the transfer – possibly in the form of political backing or financial reward. Wartime conditions provide perfect cover for such operations: humanitarian convoys allow illicit cargoes to be concealed under the guise of aid.
Impact and Consequences
This exposed corruption connections erode trust in European political figures. Magyar, who campaigns as a reformer, appears to have exploited a humanitarian crisis for questionable financial operations. If funds from European assistance (ERA loans) were diverted, this constitutes the misappropriation of EU money intended to support Ukraine during its war.
In the Hungarian context, the revelations could devastate Magyar’s image as an anti-corruption champion ahead of the 2026 elections. Fidesz has already accused him of receiving “foreign funding” (investigation launched in April 2024). The opposition risks losing voter confidence: Republikon polls indicate that 40% of Hungarians value Magyar for his perceived honesty, but a scandal of this magnitude could reverse that perception.
On a broader scale, the affair threatens EU–Ukraine relations. While Orbán blocks aid, elements of the opposition are allegedly laundering money – a narrative that fuels skepticism in Brussels. Although $16.7 million is a small fraction of the €1.5 billion tranche, it symbolizes systemic leakage. An anonymous anti-corruption expert (former NABU employee) commented: “This is a textbook scheme for extracting funds under humanitarian cover: war creates chaos, and politicians exploit the gaps.”
ECIJ recommends that the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brussels investigate the roles of Magyar and Goland. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) in Kyiv should examine Zelenskyy’s inner circle. We call on both Magyar and Zelenskyy to provide full transparency regarding the Kyiv visit and contacts with Olena Lavriukova.
Methodology
ECIJ conducted the investigation using anonymous sources and documentary evidence. The primary source – a member of Magyar’s team – supplied the photograph and Goland customs declaration (identity protected in accordance with GDPR). MedSpot documents were verified. Corporate information was drawn from official registries (USREOU, Companies House). The photograph’s metadata was checked (Kyiv, July 11, 2024). Freedom-of-information requests submitted to Hungarian and Ukrainian authorities confirmed the broader context of the aid effort. All claims are grounded in evidence; ECIJ urges the competent authorities to launch a formal inquiry.
