2025-06-03
VILNIUS – An investigation by Brands Without Visas revealed the involvement of Lithuanian companies in the export of luxury goods to Russia. Among them was "Mėlynšilis", a company owned by an employee of an institution under the remit of the Ministry of Social Security and Labour.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of Western brands officially withdrew from the country. An investigation by Chronicles Media, the Belarusian Investigative Centre and Siena, known as 'Brands Without Visas', revealed that Smart Import, a subsidiary of the sanctioned Sberbank, had bypassed trade restrictions by setting up a secret import network to supply Russian consumers with products from Western brands such as Apple, Lego, Dyson, Adidas and Calvin Klein.
At least $8 million worth of goods registered to Smart Import passed through Lithuania. More than half of this volume was processed through one logistics intermediary: the Lithuanian company UAB Mėlynšilis Terminal. Siena found that Mėlynšilis' sole owner is Antonina Miljauskene, a Lithuanian civil servant. She works as an adviser in the Department of Supervision of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Protection and Labour.
Following the publication of the investigative article, the Department of Supervision of Social Services under the Ministry of Social Protection and Labour has reacted immediately and dismissed Miliauskienė from her position.
Siena reported that according to leaked data from Russia, Mėlynšilis had contributed to transporting goods for the Russian company Umnyj Import, which is controlled by the state-owned bank Sberbank. The company helped transport goods from well-known names such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and New Balance to Russia.
Illustration (c) Chronicles Media
