Belarusian father and son convicted after hiding dealings with sanctioned Russian military firms

A Lithuanian company controlled by a Belarusian father and son obtained EU funding for agricultural satellite-navigation equipment while concealing its links to sanctioned Russian and Belarusian military businesses, according to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

The company, established in Lithuania in 2022, sought to develop professional satellite-navigation receivers capable of using Galileo’s High Accuracy Service. The equipment was intended for agricultural machinery guidance and precision-farming operations. The project was worth more than €1 million, with €745,453 provided by the European Union Agency for the Space Programme. Of that amount, €447,272 was paid to the defendants.

To receive the money, the company had to declare that it was not subject to EU sanctions and did not conduct business with sanctioned companies. EPPO said the declaration was false. The company’s formal leadership included a family member with U.S. citizenship and a Lithuanian citizen, a structure that bypassed an EU restriction on Belarusian nationals.

Investigators found that the two Belarusian nationals controlled the Lithuanian company while holding senior positions at a Russian company developing and testing satellite-navigation chips for military use. That Russian company was under EU sanctions. One defendant also obtained Russian citizenship between 2020 and 2021 and held substantial interests in other companies linked directly or indirectly to military programs involving Russia and Belarus.

The defendants admitted guilt and were convicted of subsidy fraud and document forgery. EPPO said the case, known as Precision, was investigated by its office in Lithuania.