Lithuania suspends purchasing thermal imagers for Ukraine after procurement scandal
The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence has suspended the purchase of thermal imaging binoculars for Ukraine after an investigation was launched against the winning companies.
Source: BNS, citing Arvydas Anušauskas, Minister of National Defence of Lithuania, as European Pravda reports
Details: Anušauskas announced that Lithuania’s police had launched a pre-trial investigation against the firms that won the tender for the purchase of Ados-Tech and Ados Pro thermal imagers in late March.
"Due to the recently uncovered circumstances, we are putting the process on pause. No contracts have been signed," he said.
TV3, a Lithuanian TV channel, earlier reported that two firms that had sold monoculars to border guards might have used cheaper civilian components instead of military ones, which violates the specifications indicated in the official documents.
According to the TV3 investigation, Ados-Tech and Ados Pro might be working with a Belarusian manufacturer, Elektrooptika. A shareholder in both companies and the head of Ados-Tech admitted that such cooperation previously took place but stopped after the 2020 protests.
Anušauskas said that following these claims, Lithuanian security services checked the thermal imagers and did not find Belarusian-made parts.
Thermal imagers have been regularly included in military aid packages Lithuanian has provided to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
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