A Russian oil tanker, illustrative image. Photo via Wikimedia.

French, Danish shipyards enable Russian Arctic gas exports through winter

January 17, 2025

By Ukraine

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EU shipyards are servicing Russian ice-class tankers, providing dry dock facilities that allow Moscow to continue transporting gas through the Arctic despite Western sanctions, according to the Financial Times.

The impact of Russia’s gas industry on its ability to wage war against Ukraine has been significant. Despite facing extensive sanctions that have reduced its access to European markets, Russia has continued to rely heavily on its gas exports as a primary source of revenue for military operations.

Without the maintenance carried out by Damen shipyards in France and Fayard A/S in Denmark, the Russian Yamal LNG plant would struggle to access key markets during the winter months, when gas prices in the Northern Hemisphere are traditionally the highest.

Satellite images and vessel movement data from Kpler indicate that these shipyards service 14 of the 15 specialized Arc7 tankers, which transport LNG from the Yamal LNG plant on Russia’s northern coast. Some ships have returned for maintenance multiple times.

Malte Gumpert, an Arctic shipping expert with High North News, believes that closing these shipyards would severely disrupt logistical operations. While alternative servicing is possible, he noted, it would require significant detours from the usual routes.

According to the report, since the beginning of Russia’s all-out war against Ukraine, eight tankers have undergone maintenance at Damen and nine at Fayard A/S. Damen representatives confirmed that they repaired several vessels involved in transporting Russian LNG, emphasizing that the shipyard strictly adhered to European sanctions and did not influence shipping companies’ cargo choices. However, Fayard declined to comment.

The only tanker that has not been serviced at either of these shipyards is the Christophe de Margerie, owned by the sanctioned Russian company Sovcomflot.

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