Russia is actively growing its 'shadow fleet' of liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers in preparation for stricter EU sanctions set to take effect on January 1, 2027. These sanctions will limit which vessels can call at EU LNG terminals, necessitating alternative transport for Russian exports. An estimated 23 vessels now comprise Russia's LNG shadow fleet, including six elderly LNG carriers acquired in the last five months and seven others purchased between February 2024 and May 2025 by anonymous entities. Additionally, ten newbuild LNG carriers have been delivered to state-controlled Russian shipowners. The UK recently sanctioned four of these vessels—the Orion (IMO 9294264), Kosmos (IMO 9300817), Merkuriy (IMO 9326689), and Luch (IMO 9317315)—which were acquired from a Middle Eastern owner in Q1 2026 and are all over 19 years old.
These four vessels, previously owned or managed by Oman Ship Management Co., have been re-registered to less-known companies like Hong Kong-based Mighty Ocean Shipping (for the Kosmos), Russia-based Abakan (for the Luch), and Celtic Maritime & Trading (for the Orion and Merkuriy). They exhibit characteristics of a dark fleet: older age and recent transfers to obscure companies. The Kosmos has already loaded cargo from the blacklisted Saam floating storage unit near Murmansk, with the other three also either at or en route to the facility. This expansion allows Russia to continue servicing LNG supplies, particularly to Asian markets, and capitalize on high LNG demand in Asia, partly due to potential disruptions like the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 20 tankers are now transporting LNG from sanctioned Russian projects. The Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) has identified nine 'shadow' LNG vessels that are already engaged in transporting gas, including the 'Pioneer', 'Asya Energy', and 'Everest Energy', which are linked to the Arctic LNG-2 project. The capacity of this existing shadow fleet, particularly for non-ice-class vessels, might be insufficient to fully meet the output of Arctic LNG-2's first train for year-round transport to distant markets like China via routes like the Northern Sea Route, potentially requiring a doubling of vessels to 19 for full capacity to Asia via the Suez Canal.
