Lithuania probes possible diversion of EU-funded tech to Russian army

(MENAFN) Lithuanian authorities have launched an investigation into the possible illegal export of EU-funded technologies to Russia and Belarus, which may have been used in military industries, officials said on Monday.

“The investigation is examining several scenarios, including the possibility that equipment produced with EU funds was illegally exported to Belarus and Russia and used in their military industries,” Daugilas Razauskas, head of a special investigations unit at Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service, told reporters in Vilnius.

Razauskas explained that while the companies involved operated in Lithuania, they were allegedly controlled by individuals who are citizens of Belarus and Russia. The probe follows the detention of several Belarusian, Russian, and Lithuanian nationals last week on suspicion of participating in an organized criminal group, according to the Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

European Delegated Prosecutor Darius Karcinskas said five individuals and one company have been formally notified of suspicion. The investigation is being conducted jointly by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, Lithuania’s State Security Department, and the Financial Crime Investigation Service.

Authorities carried out more than ten searches across Lithuania, targeting homes, workplaces, company premises, and vehicles. The companies under investigation had received EU funding and produced equipment intended for navigation and satellite systems.

Law enforcement officials indicated that procedural measures are being taken to secure potential compensation for damages resulting from the alleged misuse of the technology.

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