Sanctioned Russia LNG Cargo Heads to Suez on Shadow-Fleet Vessel

By Elena Mazneva and Stephen Stapczynski (Bloomberg) — A liquefied natural gas tanker that’s part of a shadow fleet of vessels that helps Russia skirt sanctions is heading toward the Suez Canal, after sailing back and forth in the North Atlantic earlier this month.

The US-sanctioned Zarya, which last month arrived for loading from Russia’s Arctic LNG 2 export facility — also banned by the US — is passing along North Africa and signaling that it will reach Egypt’s Port Said this weekend, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg. That’s next to the Suez Canal, a key gateway for ships traveling between Europe and Asia through the Red Sea. 

Traders are watching to see if it passes through the Red Sea, which became a no-go area for most LNG suppliers after attacks on merchant shipping by Yemen’s Houthi rebels intensified in early 2024. LNG tankers have mostly avoided the route since then, with the last southbound transit through the Red Sea made by Russia’s Arctic Mulan in May, according to Energy Aspects Ltd.

Sanctioned Russian vessels have been taking riskier routes to cut travel times and costs. China has been the only taker of the banned Russian fuel, with 15 cargoes received from the Arctic LNG 2 project since August, ship-tracking data show.

Risks in the Red Sea “remain fluid, given ongoing regional tensions and the Houthis’ focus on regrouping and rearming,” said Tom Purdie, a senior LNG analyst at Energy Aspects. “If Zarya transits successfully, it would be a positive step, but not enough to prompt a rapid recovery in Red Sea LNG flows.”

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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