Sanctioned LNG Ship Heads to Russian Plant That Supplies Europe

By Stephen Stapczynski and Anna Shiryaevskaya

Jun 25, 2025 (Bloomberg) –A sanctioned liquefied natural gas tanker appears to be heading toward a Russian facility, a move that would challenge Western authorities who have so far avoided imposing restrictions on the export plant.

The Iris, an LNG tanker previously known as North Sky and sanctioned by the US last year, is signaling its destination as Sabetta in northern Siberia, home to the Yamal LNG export terminal, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. The vessel is expected to arrive by June 26.

Yamal LNG, Russia’s largest LNG export plant, continues to deliver shipments to Europe.

Loading fuel onto a sanctioned vessel could leave the facility vulnerable to the Western restrictions. The US and Europe have avoided sanctioning Yamal LNG to ensure the European market is adequately supplied.

Novatek PJSC, which leads the Yamal LNG project, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Iris vessel changed its ship manager to a Russian-based firm called ELEGEST OOO in April, according to shipping database Equasis.

It isn’t clear if the Iris tanker will actually dock at Yamal or even load fuel. The vessel may also continue south toward the Arctic LNG 2 plant, which was sanctioned by the US in 2023 and hasn’t exported a shipment since October. 

Read More: How Moscow Assembled a Shadow Fleet to Break US Gas Sanctions

The US slapped sanctions on Arctic LNG 2, as well as suspected shadow fleet vessels, as part of an effort by the previous administration to curb Russia’s LNG expansion plans. So far, foreign buyers have been reluctant to purchase sanctioned LNG. 

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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