Supplier of safes to Lithuanian army blacklisted after The Insider exposes owners as Russian citizens with ties to security agencies

Eurosafe LT, a company providing safes to the Lithuanian army and other state institutions, has been blacklisted and recognized as unreliable, while the equipment it sold has been ordered to be replaced. This decision came after a joint investigation by The Insider and the Siena Investigative Journalism Center revealed that the company was controlled by Russian nationals Evgeny Petrov and Konstantin Smirnov.

Petrov holds dual citizenship in Russia and Poland, while Smirnov possesses a Romanian passport.

The company supplied safes and other equipment to various Lithuanian agencies: the Government Chancellery, the Prosecutor General's Office, institutions subordinate to the Ministry of National Defense, and a number of units of the Lithuanian army. Two safes were purchased to store classified information.

Outgoing National Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas confirmed that Lithuania’s military intelligence agency also verified the Russian ownership of Eurosafe LT.

Meanwhile, the Lithuania-based suppliers were found to have ties to Russia’s Defense Ministry, Interior Ministry, Federal Security Service (FSB), Federal Protective Service (FSO), and the state-owned Rostec defense corporation, providing weapons safes and ammunition boxes to Russian military and law enforcement officials.

In a statement to The Insider, Evgeny Petrov initially denied supplying military organizations in Europe — but later admitted it: “Maybe that [Lithuanian] office sold something there, but these numbers are laughable. We sell safes. Personally, I don’t work with any security agencies.” When asked about his country of residence, Petrov refused to answer.

The Insider found that, over the years, Petrov’s companies have also secured government contracts in other NATO countries, including Estonia and Latvia. While Petrov officially listed Poland as his place of residence, The Insider uncovered that he regularly travels to Russia, spending an average of four months a year there since 2022.

Read The Insider's full investigation to learn how Russian nationals have managed to establish ties with the military and security agencies of NATO countries.