that he Russian group Prometwhich acts as a contractor for its country’s Ministry of Defense, has been “simultaneously fulfilling military orders in Lithuania”a European and NATO country, where sanctions against Moscow prevail.
The owners of the company, which manufactures gun and ammunition safeshave managed to maintain relations with the military and security services of both Russia and the member states of the Atlantic Alliance, taking advantage of their Polish and Romanian passportseven after the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine,” explains this medium, specialized in in-depth investigation and also Russian.
As a supplier, Promet “has gained access to sensitive information, including the location of NATO military units and facilities”he states. “For its part, it is known that the GRU, the Russian military intelligence agency, has orchestrated explosions at ammunition depots in central and eastern Europe“, which may perhaps be related.
Earlier this year, several Russian publications already reported on a “surprisingly conscientious” Defense Ministry officer, a colonel who He turned himself in to the police after accepting a bribe. Senior managers of the Promet group of companies were involved in the scandal.
At first glance, “Promet appears to operate a conventional business focused on the manufacture of metal safes and furniture.” Its founder, Evgeny Petrov, is a scientist and alumnus of the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys. He initially devoted himself to scientific research and development commissioned before moving into the safe business, first as a dealer and then as a manufacturer.
According to former governor Alexei Dyumin, who He previously worked as a personal bodyguard for and as Deputy Minister of DefensePromet takes care of the state defense contracts and has “strategic importance” for the Tula regionlocated about three hours by car south of Moscow.
Dyumin admitted to helping the company establish connections at the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and even facilitated the opening of an MoD office at its facilities. Dyumin, who now serves as presidential aide and secretary of the State Council, appears to have been fundamental in Promet’s association with the Russian state.
The company now regularly participates in the Army forum of the Ministry of Defense, showing products such as fire-resistant ammunition boxes and shell casings for the “Grad” rocket launcher.
In addition to storing ammunition, Promet supplies safes, cabinets and industrial furniture to the Ministry of Defense and other security agencies, including the military prosecutor’s office, the Ministry of the Interior (MVD) and the Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN). Evgeny Petrov owns a 67.81% stake in NPO Promet, while his junior partner Konstantin Smirnov owns 31.18%. Until March 2023, they maintained similar ownership in Spetstechmet before transferring that company to nominal owners.
Spetstechmet supplied the Russian National Guard “ZUBR” armored blockswhich he described as a “system to establish checkpoints and create armored walls”. Its former subsidiary, Technoimport, has a significant government order book, valued at 1.2 billion rubles, to provide items including safes and filing cabinets for the , together with the Ministry of Defense and the courts and security agencies of the country.
Petrov is the sole owner of EuroSafe-Crimea, based in Simferopol. This company supplies safes and metal cabinets to the Russian occupation administrations in Crimea and Sevastopolas well as the military prosecutor’s office of the Black Sea Fleet, the Crimean Ministry of Justice, the Sevastopol prosecutor’s office and the Federal Protection Service of Russia (FSO).
Despite Petrov’s business activities in the occupied territories and its contracts with the Russian defense sector, it continues to do business with EU entities. According to customs data obtained by The Insiderthe company NPO Promet exported safes worth $254,000 to Poland over a three-month period in 2023. The recipient, Warsaw-based Promet Safe, is also under Petrov’s control. Petrov has Russian and Polish citizenship, while Smirnov has a Romanian passport.
The Bulgarian company Promet Seif supplies locks and other components for safes to the Russian NGO Promet, in addition. Petrov and Smirnov run this company, which operates from an office in Sofia and a factory in Kazanlak, positioning it as one of the leading producers of safes and office furniture in Eastern Europe.
A large part of this trade is carried out through Lithuaniawhere Petrov owns Eurosafe LT and has a store in Vilnius, the capital. However, what stands out most is its clientele, which includes the Lithuanian army and government.
Military and government customers in Lithuania
Since 2017, Eurosafe LT has won around 100 public tenders in Lithuaniamainly for safes and document storage equipment for various institutions, including the military. These contracts add up to a total of almost 500,000 euros.
Two days before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Lithuanian Special Operations Battalion signed a contract of 12,000 euros with Eurosafe for six safes with classified information, which were delivered to the special forces headquarters.
The Lithuanian Military Medical Service is a regular customer, with its most recent contract dating back to April 2024. It previously contracted Eurosafe in 2021 to supply classified document storage units.
Among Eurosafe’s Lithuanian defense clients There are infantry divisions, the air force and two agencies of the Ministry of National Defense (MND), among which the Defense Materials Agency stands out, responsible for the acquisition of weapons and equipment. The agency purchased four heavy-duty safes from Eurosafe in July 2022, six months after Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The company also supplies safes to the Lithuanian Government Chancellery and the VAD, a government agency charged with protecting the country’s senior officials and foreign delegations. Eurosafe also won tenders for the Attorney General’s Office and supplied gun safes for the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FNTT)a law enforcement agency operating under the Lithuanian Ministry of the Interior. The Russian company’s supply of safes to military units poses a vulnerability given the GRU’s long history of attacking NATO ammunition sites throughout Europe.
In response to the findings of The InsiderLithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas noted: “I will give instructions so that all related information is collected. It will be necessary replace this equipment. If Eurosafe representatives gained access to the premises during installation, this poses intelligence risks. An independent investigation is necessary to determine how this happened.”
Kasčiūnas also promised Immediate measures to assess Eurosafe LT acquisition risks and suggested possible changes to the law to allow for stricter controls on company beneficiaries.
Evgeny Petrov initially denied having any involvement as a contractor military in Europe, but later admitted to having made some sales, downplaying their importance. “Maybe that office [lituana] sold something there, but these figures are ridiculous. Us we sell safes. Personally, I don’t work with any security agency. If one of our subsidiaries sold something to someone, maybe it’s true… We have sold in the United States before and also in Iraq. If a tender is announced and we are on the market, we sell”he explained, stating that he is not aware of any specific sales to military customers. “Not with these figures. If it was hundreds of thousands of dollars, then maybe we could discuss it. But when it comes to small and occasional sales, we don’t control that.”
When asked about his country of residence, Petrov he refused to answer.
The Insider discovered that Petrov’s European companies They have also secured government contracts in other NATO countriesincluding Estonia and Latvia. While Petrov officially declares Poland his place of residence, he frequently travels to Russia, where he has spent about four months each year since 2022.
