A scandal has arisen in Lithuania regarding payments for Ukrainian refugees.

A portion of the aid from the European Union for Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania was received by citizens of Russia and Belarus. From 2022 to 2023, the EU allocated around 17 million euros for the project 'Aid to refugees from the war in Ukraine'. Refugees receive food, medicine, hygiene products, have the opportunity to learn the Lithuanian language, and can take advantage of employment programs.

The State Audit Office of Lithuania found that among the 813 individuals who received EU assistance for Ukrainian refugees, there were citizens from 43 different countries, including Russia, Belarus, and others. This led to dissatisfaction among Lithuanian officials and resulted in the dismissal of the director of the European Social Fund Agency (ESFA) Lina Nevińskene.

"We view this situation negatively. This should not have happened. An internal audit is being conducted, and we are investigating how this could have occurred," said Deputy Minister of Social Security and Labour Rita Grigalienė.

"The confusion was caused by discrepancies in the documentation that was in effect at that Time. According to these documents, socially vulnerable groups could participate in additional programs, such as the Lithuanian language courses and employment assistance, not necessarily only Ukrainian citizens," explained the head of the project development department of ESFA Jolita Pietraitytė.

After discovering that aid from the EU was received by citizens of other countries, Lithuania has initiated an internal audit to determine the causes and responsible parties, as well as to avoid similar situations in the future.