Lithuanian Firm Smuggled Starlink Terminals and Drone Motors to Russia as “Ceramic Tiles”

A joint investigation by The Insider and the Lithuanian investigative journalism center Siena revealed that a Lithuanian company exported Starlink terminals and cables to Russia through the Latvian border in 2024.

The company, UAB Eseka, led by CEO Eimantas Skardzius and based in the village of Kunigiskiai in the Anyksciai district, declared the critical communication terminals as ceramic tiles to bypass international restrictions during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The investigation found that UAB Eseka also shipped specialized engines manufactured by the Japanese company O.S. Engines MFG to Russia in 2024. The transit documents labeled these components as engines for remote-controlled model airplanes. However, evidence gathered from the battlefield in Ukraine shows that these specific Japanese engines are actively used in Russian military drones.

“State traitors. They unquestionably contribute to the Russians' ability to kill civilians. And what is the guarantee that with the same equipment, with the same bypassing of sanctions, the Russians will not start active actions against other countries — for example, the Baltic countries,” stated Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Robertas Kaulas.

Another Lithuanian cargo transportation company involved in the supply network is Jumbo Transport, which is currently undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.

Audio records of the former head of Jumbo Transport obtained by investigative journalists show that the logistics firm intentionally provided unrealistic transport papers to customs officials. The documents falsely claimed that the restricted cargo was bound for Central Asian countries, while the goods were actually delivered directly to the Russian market.

Read more

Category

World

Russia’s Military Recruitment Slumps Below Targets Amid Rising Losses, Intel Says

Jul 13, 2026 18:23

Prior to these revelations, Jumbo Transport had provided logistics and transportation services to the defense structures of Lithuania. The company previously served units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces as well as the Defense Resources Agency under the Ministry of National Defense.

Russia obtains Starlink terminals through illicit shadow markets in third countries and by using front individuals. The Russian military installs these communication systems on various types of unmanned aerial vehicles, including the Geran-2, RD-8, Molniya, and BM-35 drones.

To counter this, SpaceX developed specific access lists allowing Ukrainian military personnel to register the identification numbers of their authorized terminals within the Delta combat system , which prevents the Russian military from utilizing the network.

On May 8, 2026, a joint investigation by The Insider and Nordsint revealed that Chinese suppliers circumvented Beijing’s export bans to provide Russia with critical anti-jamming antennas for its Geran drone fleet, passing the military hardware off as agricultural equipment.

Investigators posing as Russian military contractors contacted Harxon Corporation, a large Chinese navigation equipment supplier, whose representative openly acknowledged cooperation with Russia’s Alabuga plant and accepted a bulk order for military-grade antennas routed through a shell company. Despite supplying critical technology for Russia's war effort, the Chinese company maintained authorized distributors in Western markets and continued to operate freely internationally.

Protect Ukrainian Skies

Subscribe to Sky Defense