Russia's second ice-class LNG carrier sets sail via Arctic route
Russia's second domestically built ice-class LNG carrier, the Konstantin Posiet, has departed for the Northern Sea Route, signaling progress in bypassing sanctions.
Russia has launched its second domestically built ice-class liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, the Konstantin Posiet, which departed from Bolshoy Kamen Bay in Primorsky Krai and is now navigating the Northern Sea Route, according to ship-tracking data from LSEG.
The vessel, constructed at the Zvezda shipyard, is intended to serve the Arctic LNG 2 project, which is under U.S. sanctions. The tanker is expected to reach its destination by August 30, though the specific port has not been disclosed.
This development marks another step in Russia's efforts to circumvent Western sanctions aimed at restricting its gas exports and reducing revenue used in the conflict with Ukraine. The Zvezda shipyard specializes in building large Arc7 ice-class tankers capable of breaking through ice up to two meters thick.
Originally, the shipyard was slated to build 15 tankers for Arctic LNG 2, but sanctions have caused delays. The first such vessel, the Alexey Kosygin, entered service in December. With the addition of the Konstantin Posiet, Russia now has three ice-class tankers that can transport gas via a shorter Arctic route.