The ex-girlfriend of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu is suing Lithuania over the revocation of her residence permit. Meanwhile, Shoigu’s illegitimate daughter has acquired Lithuanian citizenship, LRT Investigation Team has found.
Yelena Kaminskas, formerly Shebunova, the mother of Shoigu’s illegitimate children, lost her Lithuanian residence permit this summer. The woman sued the Migration Department’s decision in late August/early September. The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court has not yet scheduled the hearing of the case.
The Department of State Security told the LRT Investigations Team that it has concluded that Kaminskas’ presence in Lithuania may pose a threat to national security because of her links to Russia.
Kaminskas and Russian Defence Minister Shoigu have two illegitimate children, one of whom is still a minor. The woman also has two other children from her marriage to a Lithuanian man, Adolfas Kaminskas.
Three of her four children have Lithuanian citizenship. Shoigu’s illegitimate daughter is also a Lithuanian citizen, according to the available documents. The girl obtained Lithuanian citizenship in 2019 after her mother's marriage to Kaminskas, who recognised her as his daughter.
Shoigu’s ex-girlfriend, a Russian citizen, declared her place of residence in Lithuania in 2017. In August 2022, she, her husband, and their youngest child declared their relocation to Russia. Adolfas Kaminskas received a Russian passport this spring, according to Russia’s official register.
Links to Russia
Russian Defence Minister Shoigu’s extramarital relationship was revealed by the investigative journalism website The Insider in 2019
According to data gathered by The Insider, Kaminskas, former Shebunova, previously worked as a stewardess at the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES). There, she met the then Emergency Situations Minister Shoigu. Their son was born in 2001, and their daughter in 2008.
According to The Insider, the couple broke up in 2017. However, data gathered by the LRT Investigation Team indicates that they may have been in contact until 2021.
The Insider also found out that Shebunova acquired substantial wealth during her relationship with Shoigu. The companies in which she owned shares received state orders from the Ministries of Defence and Emergency Situations.
According to the Centre of Registers, Shoigu’s ex-girlfriend has no business in Lithuania. This year, her husband sold shares in two companies he owned, Pandos Investicijos and Despecto, to his then-business partner Paulius Kveselaitis.
Both Yelena and Adolfas Kaminskas have several businesses in Russia.
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