Russia Deploys Second Ice-Class Tanker to Bypass Sanctions on Arctic Gas Exports

Russia has taken another step in circumventing Western sanctions by building and launching its second newly built ice-class tanker, Konstantin Posiet. The vessel left Bolshoy Kamen Bay in Primorsky Krai and set course for the Northern Sea Route, where it will serve the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant.

The shipyard that built the tanker, Zvezda, specializes in building large Arc7 ice-class tankers capable of breaking through ice up to two meters thick. The company was originally contracted to build 15 tankers for Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, but sanctions have delayed the program.

With this new vessel, Russia now has three ice-class tankers in total, allowing gas to be transported via a significantly shorter route. This is particularly significant as Russia previously relied on a single icebreaker to continue exporting liquefied natural gas from the US-sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project throughout the winter.