Russian businessman Sergei Shnaider, the owner of the Mere discount retail chain operating in Lithuania and Latvia, has been added to the European Union’s 21st sanctions package. The measures is forcing the chain to close all its supermarkets operating in Lithuania, 15min.lt reported on Friday.
According to 15min.lt, several of the Mere shops in Vilnius appeared to be already closed on Friday afternoon.
Contacted by BNS, a representative of Mere declined to comment on whether the closures were temporary or if they were linked to the sanctions.
“Due to technical issues, we are not operating anywhere in Lithuania,” the representative, who declined to give her name, told BNS.
The Ministry of Economy and Innovation confirmed on Friday that the owners of the Svetofor Group – which also owns the Mere stores in Lithuania – are under EU sanctions. As of Thursday, all funds and assets belonging to these individuals within the EU must be frozen, and they are prohibited from receiving funds or other economic resources.
