Russia's 'Dark Fleet' Doubles in Size Amid EU Sanctions

Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 export project has quietly expanded its fleet of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers, with the country now having at least 20 such vessels, up from 11 nine months ago. This increase in the 'dark fleet' is part of Moscow's efforts to maintain its LNG exports despite EU sanctions.

Since Arctic LNG 2 was sanctioned by the US, EU, and UK in 2024, Russia has been amassing a dark fleet to ship its gas east to Asia, where it can still find buyers. One such buyer is China, which has been importing Russian LNG throughout the winter despite the sanctions.

Another ice-class vessel, built by Russia, has joined the dark fleet, along with several other ships. This expansion comes ahead of EU sanctions on the LNG sector set to take effect on January 1, 2027, which will restrict which vessels can call at LNG terminals in EU jurisdictions.