A shocking investigation has uncovered a Russian company that’s been secretly supplying military safes and other security products to NATO countries, including Lithuania, while still working with Russia’s Ministry of Defense. This company, Promet, has been operating under the radar, using clever strategies to keep business going with both Russian and NATO military forces—even after the war in Ukraine began.

The Company with Two Faces

On the surface, Promet seems like a regular business that makes metal safes and furniture. But its links go much deeper than that. The company’s owner, Evgeny Petrov, is a scientist turned businessman who has close ties with Russia’s military and security services. Promet is considered “strategically important” to Russia’s defense operations, meaning the Russian government sees it as a key player in supplying military equipment.

Petrov’s company makes more than just safes—it produces items like ammunition boxes and other storage products for Russian security agencies. These include Russia’s Ministry of Defense (MoD), the Interior Ministry, and even the Federal Penitentiary Service. But the most surprising part of the story is that Promet has been secretly making deals with NATO countries while continuing its operations with Russia.

A Web of Deceptive Deals Across Europe

Promet has cleverly managed to stay in business by using European passports to hide its true identity. Petrov holds both Russian and Polish citizenship, while his business partner, Konstantin Smirnov, has a Romanian passport. This allows them to operate in EU countries, including Poland, Romania, and Lithuania, while still maintaining ties with Russia.

Promet has supplied safes and other equipment to NATO members, despite its close relationship with Russian defense contractors. In fact, Promet Safe, a company controlled by Petrov, has been sending safes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to Poland. But the most concerning revelation is that Lithuania’s military has also been using Promet’s products for years.

A Dangerous Connection with Lithuania

Since 2017, Eurosafe LT, the Lithuanian branch of Promet, has won dozens of public contracts, mainly supplying safes and document storage units. The company has even provided classified storage equipment to Lithuania’s military and government agencies. In 2022, just months after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Eurosafe sold safes to Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defense and other military divisions.

What’s more, Lithuania’s Special Operations Battalion placed a contract for safes with Eurosafe just days before Russia’s invasion. The deal raised serious questions about how such a company with ties to Russia’s military could be supplying NATO countries with sensitive security equipment.

The GRU’s Involvement and the Risk to NATO

The situation is even more worrying because the GRU—Russia’s military intelligence agency—has a history of targeting NATO’s military sites, especially ammunition depots across Europe. If Russia’s spies have access to sensitive storage facilities within NATO countries, it could compromise the security of NATO’s military operations.

Lithuanian officials have reacted with concern. Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Lithuania’s Defense Minister, has promised to investigate the situation and replace any equipment found to be a security risk. He also indicated that stricter checks on such companies might be necessary to prevent this from happening again.

What Did Petrov Have to Say?

When questioned about his company’s involvement with NATO countries, Evgeny Petrov initially denied any significant military contracts outside of Russia. However, he later admitted that his company had made some sales but downplayed their importance. Petrov claimed he didn’t personally deal with security agencies, despite his company’s extensive dealings with military and government agencies in both Russia and NATO countries.

Despite this, it’s clear that Petrov’s businesses in Europe have secured government contracts not only in Lithuania but also in other NATO countries, like Estonia and Latvia. Petrov even spends several months a year in Russia, despite officially listing Poland as his place of residence.

The Big Question: Can NATO Trust Its Own Security Suppliers?

This investigation raises serious concerns about the safety of NATO countries and whether Russian-linked companies are secretly operating inside them. While Petrov’s company insists it’s just selling safes, the bigger picture suggests a web of covert activity that could put NATO’s military operations at risk. With Lithuania already taking action, the world is left wondering how many other NATO members may have unknowingly been vulnerable to Russia’s influence.

In the end, the question remains: How much did NATO know about the dangerous connection between Promet and its military suppliers—and what are they going to do about it?