Main image: Lithuanian Railways (LTG), Photo by D. Umbražasas / LRT
The company LTG Cargo, part of the Lithuanian Railways group (LTG), announced an internal investigation into the supplies of rapeseed oil from the Belarusian company "Agroprodukt," produced from raw materials exported from the occupied territories of Ukraine.
As reported by LRT.lt, the shipments were halted, including the seizure of 8 wagons with rapeseed oil at the Kėnai station last week, which were heading to the Klaipėda port.
The Belarusian oil, made from rapeseed grown in the Kherson region, was being transshipped through Lithuania to Norway, Israel, China, the UAE, and Vietnam.
According to LTG Cargo, nearly 50,000 tons of "Agroprodukt" oil passed through Lithuania in 2024. However, investigators believe the actual volume is significantly higher, as last year, three companies—Gen Cargo, Baltijos Pervežimai, and Baltic Cargo Agent—were responsible for transporting these goods through Lithuania.
These companies stated that they were unaware of the origin of the raw materials from the occupied territories. Additionally, "Agroprodukt" is not on the sanctions list, and the shipments passed all necessary customs checks and LTG filters.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Agriculture explained that the EU had not banned the import of food products, and no increased tariffs had been imposed on rapeseed oil. The only possible way to restrict the import of Russian and Belarusian products is to create conditions that make them uncompetitive, but such decisions should be made at the EU level.
Stanislav Ivashkevich, head of the Belarusian Investigative Center (BRC), commented on Lithuania's prompt response to the journalists' investigation.
"We are used to Lithuania responding quickly to journalistic investigations on sanctions evasion, but I would say this is one of the fastest effects we've seen. We expected a reaction, but we were surprised by the speed," Ivashkevich said.
Investigators discovered that Ukrainian grain from the Russian-occupied territories is being exported to Belarus, including under pressure on Ukrainian farmers. Moreover, the Russian occupation authorities purchase rapeseed "at least 30% below market value," which could indicate further pressure on Ukrainian farmers.
