russia Is Building Another “Shadow Fleet” to Circumvent Upcoming EU Sanctions

russia has begun building a reserve “shadow fleet” of tankers to transport liquefied natural gas. The kremlin’s main goal is to prepare in time for the European Union’s sweeping sanctions, which will take effect on January 1, 2027.

The new restrictions will completely block russian vessels’ access to European terminals. This is forcing moscow to seek workarounds in order to maintain current gas export volumes and financing of the state budget at any cost.

russia is using anonymous entities and convoluted ownership chains to purchase old tankers around the world. Over the past five months, six old gas tankers have entered the russian market. Besides, between February 2024 and May 2025, seven similar vessels were already bought through front companies.

In the first quarter of 2026, russia purchased four gas carriers – the ORION, KOSMOS, MERKURYY, and LUCH – from a Middle Eastern owner. Each of the vessels is over 19 years old, and all are already being used to transport russian liquefied natural gas.

The total size of russia’s “shadow LNG fleet” has now grown to approximately 23 vessels.

The use of a worn-out, aging fleet without proper international insurance and technical inspections allows russia to partially circumvent restrictions. However, experts point out that such actions significantly increase environmental risks during gas transportation and raise the aggressor’s logistical costs.