Lithuanian companies allegedly helped export Russian liquefied petroleum gas to Ukraine by using misleading certificates tied to Lithuania’s Orlen Lietuva refinery, LRT reported, referring to a new investigation by journalistic research center Siena. The report details how small amounts of European-produced fuel were used to disguise much larger volumes of Russian gas, circumventing Ukraine’s sanctions.
Lithuanian certificates used to smuggle Russian gas into Ukraine
LRT reports that Lithuanian fuel company Jozita and Gazimpeks, a firm with links to the Russian energy sector, allegedly sent thousands of tons of Russian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Ukraine using questionable documents. According to Siena, both companies purchased limited quantities of LPG from Lithuania’s Orlen Lietuva and used those origin certificates to export significantly larger volumes of fuel.
Ukrainian court documents referenced in the report suggest that officials suspected fuel shipments were “diluted”—a process of mixing small amounts of European LPG with Russian product to mask its origin. The investigation states that under Ukrainian law, if such mixing occurs, the fuel can still retain its European classification. This created a loophole that companies reportedly exploited to import Russian fuel despite sanctions, LRT says.
Russian-linked ownership and suspected fraud
Siena’s report highlights the connections between Gazimpeks and Russia’s sanctioned energy sector. The company was run until July 2024 by Nikolai Yeliseev, a Russian citizen and former head of Rosneft—Russia’s second-largest state-owned energy company, which remains under EU and US sanctions.
Gazimpeks is owned by Oksana Yeliseeva, who acquired Lithuanian citizenship in 2021, according to LRT. Investigators claim she did so by falsely stating that she had renounced her Russian citizenship. The report adds that she continued using a Russian passport for international travel after obtaining Lithuanian papers.
