U.S.-Sanctioned LNG Tanker Iris Docks at Russia’s Arctic LNG‑2 Facility Amid Ongoing Sanctions
On June 27, 2025, ship‑tracking services LSEG and Kpler recorded the arrival of the U.S.-sanctioned liquefied natural gas tanker Iris at Russia’s Arctic LNG‑2 facility in Sabetta. If the vessel proceeds to load LNG, this would represent the ninth cargo from the Arctic LNG‑2 project, with the previous documented shipment occurring in early October aboard the vessel Arctic Metagaz.
The Iris, formerly known as North Sky, was designated under U.S. sanctions in October 2024, which targeted the vessel along with its original owners and management entities. On April 25, the tanker altered its commercial management to Elegest OOO, a Moscow-based company, while its nominal owner remains listed as LNG Gamma Shipping. Reuters reports that contact details for LNG Gamma Shipping were unavailable.
Arctic LNG‑2, operated by Novatek, has been under comprehensive Western sanctions, which have aimed to disrupt its export operations since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite these measures, a source confirmed in May that production on the second train had commenced, although cargo delivery from the first train has remained stalled.
A persistent shortage of ice-class LNG tankers—vessels strong enough to operate in Arctic ice—has hindered export capabilities. Earlier this year, Russia announced it would launch its first domestically built Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker, the Alexey Kosygin, from the Zvezda shipyard in the latter half of 2025. Novatek has placed orders for up to 15 such vessels to support Arctic LNG‑2 operations, with more than twenty in total under contract. The Alexey Kosygin is currently undergoing final sea trials and, if completed successfully, may join the fleet later this year.
The Iris docking highlights the tension between energy security and sanction enforcement. Moscow has reportedly turned to so-called "shadow fleet" tactics—re-registering sanctioned vessels under new management or aliases—to sustain production and export operations. Satellite tracking of tankers like Iris has revealed attempts to navigate around restrictions, reinforcing concerns over the effectiveness of current sanctions strategies.
As Arctic temperatures rise and ice melts, the Northern Sea Route is becoming increasingly navigable, bolstering Russia’s ambition to ramp up LNG exports to markets in Asia and potentially Europe. However, with Western authorities imposing new rounds of sanctions—including targeting shipping managers and fintech facilitators—Moscow’s ability to sustain an Arctic export surge remains uncertain.
