Denys Hutyk, head of the Economic Security Council of Ukraine, said that about 2.5% of all the war technology exports were goods of Lithuanian firms. This figure shows that some Lithuanian companies are still exporting to Russia, he told LRT radio.The problem seems to be the way sectoral sanctions work, he explained.
Hutyk said that the largest exports come from China, Taiwan and South Korea.
He stressed that direct exports have been falling from 2023, and that currently parts used in the war are reaching Russia via other countries.
Karolis Žemaitis, Lithuania’s former deputy economy minister, told the public radio that the study reveals information on re-exports from Lithuania that has been at least partially known so far. The authorities had taken action in response to that, he said.
"We need to distinguish between two things here – what is produced in Lithuania and what is exported through Lithuania. We have had strange cases where Lithuania was named a huge exporter of wine even though we do not produce it. Lithuania, because of its geographical position and its long experience, is a logistics centre. (...)," Žemaitis said.
"Lithuania produces a microscopic part of the technology that Russia would care for, but the logistics sector could certainly have contributed to the processes. I am not saying that about all the companies, but there have been some indications of this," he added.
Last week, the Ministry of the Economy and Innovation announced its intention to halt the ban on the export of several thousand dual-use goods to third countries that came into force in January. The move was prompted by criticism from businesses over increased bureaucratic burden. The legislation will be improved to prevent sanctions evasion and reduce the impact on the Lithuanian economy, the ministry said.