Russia Quietly Expands Secret Gas Fleet Ahead of EU's 2027 Import Ban
The fleet has grown to 25 vessels in six months, including eight secondhand tankers and two new ships from Zvezda shipyard, analysts said.
- Russia has expanded its 'shadow fleet' of Liquified Natural Gas tankers to 25 vessels over the past six months, according to analysts citing maritime data firm Windward, positioning Moscow to maintain exports after the European Union's import ban begins January 1, 2027.
- Following the European Union's confirmation of a full import ban on long-term Russian LNG contracts starting in 2027, Moscow is modeling its clandestine gas network after its oil 'shadow fleet', which currently exceeds 1,000 vessels operating outside Western regulatory frameworks.
- Each specialized LNG carrier costs around $300 million, constraining Russia's expansion; Western sanctions halted partnerships with French manufacturer GTT in January 2023, while six completed tankers remain blocked at South Korea's Hanwha shipyard.
- Four carriers—Kosmos, Orion, Merkuriy, and Luch—already collect cargo from floating terminals linked to sanctioned gas, operating through shell companies registered in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Singapore, according to ship-tracking data.
- Russia's Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects account for more than 65% of total production, yet entities violating the 2027 ban face fines of up to 3.5% of annual global turnover, creating substantial enforcement stakes.
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Russia is building its own fleet of liquefied natural gas tankers to keep exporting despite tightening European sanctions. In the past six months, the Russians have acquired at least eight second-hand vessels and are also commissioning the first tankers built in domestic shipyards. But LNG is a much more technologically demanding cargo for Russia's shadow fleet than oil.
Russia Quietly Expands Secret Gas Fleet Ahead of EU's 2027 Import Ban
Russia has quietly built up a fleet of specialised gas tankers designed to keep its liquefied natural gas exports flowing once the European Union's near-total import ban takes hold from 2027. At least eight secondhand LNG carriers have been bought and redirected into Russian service over the past six months alone. That expansion brings Moscow's dedicated gas fleet to 25 vessels, including two newly built carriers from Russia's Zvezda shipyard, a…
Russia's shadow fleet makes much less money, with increased enter actions behind it, but the EU could do even more.
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FT: Russia is expanding its ‘shadow fleet’ of tankers to carry liquefied natural gas ahead of looming supply ban
Russia is expanding its “shadow fleet” of gas carriers, adding secondhand vessels along with its first domestically built tankers, the Financial Times reports, citing data from the maritime analytics firm Windward.
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