Lithuania may soon add Mere, a discount retail chain with ties to Russia, to its list of sanctioned companies despite a recent change in ownership, Economy Minister Edvinas Grikšas said Thursday.
“The recent changes at Mere – these shifts in ownership – should not fool us,” Grikšas told the parliament. “Authorities are working on this, and we are cooperating with the Foreign Ministry to identify the new shareholders.”
He added that the government is finalizing the necessary legal procedures to ensure the company is sanctioned “in the near future”.
Grikšas was responding to a question from former economy minister Lukas Savickas about the government’s plans regarding the chain’s operations in Lithuania.
The business daily Verslo Žinios reported this week that Valiente, the company operating 19 Mere stores in Lithuania, has undergone ownership changes. Several Russian citizens who previously held shares transferred their stakes to Vigalight, a company based in Barcelona, Spain, that runs a similar business there.
According to the Lithuanian Centre of Registers, Anna and Andrey Shnayder, Andrey Veikulainen, Valery Lakovlev, and Rustam Kilizhekov ceased to be Valiente’s shareholders on September 19, when the entire shareholding was taken over by Vigalight.
Vigalight, established in 2024 in Barcelona, has also seen management changes. According to Spain’s official corporate registry bulletin, Boletín Oficial del Registro Mercantil, Ilya Eigin became head of the company in January 2025, replacing Igor Yagupov, while Elena Avtayeva succeeded Luliya Astanina as company representative.
Despite the reported ownership shift, registry data show that Anna Shnayder, a Russian citizen, remains Valiente’s ultimate beneficial owner, controlling a 66% stake.
Mere, known for its low-cost model similar to Aldi or Lidl, has operated in Lithuania since 2020. The chain has faced scrutiny in several European countries over its alleged ties to Russia’s Torgservis group, which is reportedly linked to individuals under Western sanctions.
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