Russia Assembles Secret Gas Tanker Fleet to Bypass EU Ban
Russia is expanding its shadow fleet of liquefied natural gas carriers to bypass impending European Union restrictions. At least eight secondhand LNG tankers were sold and redirected to carry Russian shipments over the past six months, bringing Moscow's specialized gas fleet to a total of 25 vessels.
The push to acquire specialized tankers follows the model Moscow established with its shadow oil fleet, which now exceeds 1,000 vessels operating outside Western insurance and regulatory frameworks. The EU will ban imports of Russian LNG in 2027, limiting fossil fuel revenues that fund Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The newly acquired gas carriers fly the Russian flag and have been moving cargoes from transshipment hubs handling sanctioned gas. Domestic shipbuilder Zvezda delivered its first tanker, the Aleksey Kosygin, which has transported gas from the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project since December.