Lithuania will not prosecute three Ukrainians over alleged intelligence work

Lithuania’s State Security Department says it will not bring criminal charges against three Ukrainian citizens because investigators did not establish all the elements of a possible crime, LRT reports. The men will instead be expelled from the country.

In a comment sent to BNS on Friday, the department said its choice of investigative methods and actions took account of a range of circumstances and details that could not be made public. It said its main task was to identify and prevent threats, and that officials chose an approach they considered effective in pursuing those goals.

The department previously said the three had carried out tasks for hostile foreign intelligence services but had caused no actual harm to the Lithuanian state. They were declared threats to national security, had their temporary residence permits revoked and were banned from returning to Lithuania for five years.

According to the department, the men were paid to carry out various tasks assigned through Telegram and other messaging platforms. Interior Minister Martynas Katelynas said this week that they had been asked to film certain objects and conduct interviews.