EU Sanctions Seek to Block Gas Tanker Sales to Moscow 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday the European Union's proposed 21st sanctions package against Russia would target Moscow's energy revenues, financial services, and trade, including – for the first time – fisheries.

The European Commission said the new measures would add further vessels to the sanctions list and seek to disrupt the infrastructure supporting Russian energy exports.

Among the proposed steps are a ban on the sale of LNG tankers to Russia and sanctions on vessels that support Russia's shadow fleet through services such as bunkering, ship-to-ship transfers and logistical assistance.

“For the first time, we are also targeting vessels that assist the shadow fleet – providing bunkering and other services for example. Finally, we propose restricting the sale of LNG tankers to Russia, just as we already did for oil tankers,” von der Leyen said while presenting the package.

The proposed sanctions package comes as the EU faces criticism for continuing to import record volumes of Russian LNG even while expanding restrictions on Russia's maritime and energy sectors.

Norway could face scrutiny

If adopted, the measures could draw renewed attention to Norway's Arctic waters where more than 40 Russian LNG carriers have received services in recent years despite a broader Western effort to curb Moscow's energy revenues.

That could have implications for Honningsvåg, a strategically located port in Norway's far north that has become a service point for LNG carriers operating between Russia's Yamal LNG project and European markets.

Both sanctioned and non-sanctioned Russian LNG carriers routinely stop in the waters adjacent to the port. In recent weeks, a UK-sanctioned LNG carrier called at Honningsvåg without any publicly known intervention from Norwegian authorities.

Target shadow fleet

Norway, which is not a member of the EU but generally aligns with many European sanctions measures, has thus far not moved to restrict such activity.

While the Commission's proposal remains subject to approval by EU member states, sanctions specifically targeting vessels that provide support services to shadow fleet operations could increase scrutiny of ports and service providers facilitating Russian LNG shipping.

Also read

UK-Sanctioned Russian LNG Carrier Stops at Northern Norway Port

Analysts note that the exact scope of the proposed measures remains unclear and may depend on how the EU defines support activities and which vessels are ultimately designated.

Russian LNG continue to rise

The sanctions initiative also highlights an increasingly awkward contradiction in European energy policy.

Despite repeated pledges to phase out Russian fossil fuels, EU imports of LNG from Russia's Arctic Yamal LNG project have continued to rise.

According to a new analysis released by German environmental and financial watchdog Urgewald using Kpler shipping data, EU imports of Yamal LNG reached 8.37 million tonnes during the first five months of 2026, up 17.9% from the same period last year.

No effect

The group said 96.7% of all Yamal LNG exports between January and May were delivered to EU ports, with only four cargoes heading to China.

In May alone, 23 of 25 Yamal LNG cargoes arrived in Europe, accounting for 92% of the project's exports during the month.

Urgewald said recent EU restrictions on short-term Russian LNG contracts had so far shown no visible effect because contracts signed during a transitional period remain valid.

Attempts to reduce

"EU imports of LNG from the Russian Arctic are still rising," Urgewald sanctions campaigner Sebastian Rötters said in a statement.

"The short-term contract ban has had no visible effect so far, because a timing gap in the rules weakens its impact."

The figures underscore the challenge facing Brussels as it attempts to reduce Russian revenues while member states continue to rely on LNG imports from Novatek's Yamal LNG project.

Belgium's Zeebrugge terminal remained one of the key entry points for Russian LNG into Europe, while Spain became the bloc's largest importer during May.

The EU has agreed to ending all Russian LNG imports by January 2027.

EU Restrictions Could End Practice:

Russian LNG Carriers Stopped More Than 40 Times Off Northern Norway Since 2024

Tanker sales ban too late?

Questions also remain about the effectiveness of a proposed ban on the sale of LNG carriers to Russia.

Industry reports suggest Novatek is already in advanced discussions to acquire up to 10 ice-class LNG carriers from Japanese shipping group MOL and South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean.

According to shipping industry publication TradeWinds, negotiations involve six Arc7 icebreaking LNG carriers currently stranded at Hanwha Ocean's shipyard in South Korea and four Arc4 ice-class LNG carriers operated by MOL.

New carriers

Several of the Arc7 vessels were originally intended to serve Novatek's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project but became trapped by Western sanctions and export restrictions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Three of the vessels were initially ordered by MOL, while another three were originally contracted by Russian shipping giant Sovcomflot before contractual disputes and sanctions disrupted deliveries.

The discussions also include four relatively new Arc4 LNG carriers - North Moon, North Light, North Ocean and North Valley - that were originally linked to Novatek projects.

Struggling to expand

Three of those vessels were briefly sanctioned by the EU in 2024 before being removed from the sanctions list following lobbying efforts and arguments that they were serving the non-sanctioned Yamal LNG project rather than Arctic LNG 2.

Should the reported transactions proceed, they would provide Novatek with additional ice-capable tonnage at a time when Russia is struggling to expand its domestic fleet of Arctic LNG carriers.

The talks also raise questions about whether a future EU prohibition on LNG tanker sales would arrive after key assets have already been transferred into Russian control.

Taken together, the Commission's latest proposals illustrate the increasingly complex balance facing European policymakers: tightening restrictions on Russia's shipping and energy sectors while European buyers remain the primary destination for Russian Arctic LNG exports and key shipping assets may already be moving beyond the reach of future sanctions.