The vessel also expands Russia’s so-called LNG “shadow fleet” to 12 carriers, a sizable force that Novatek, the majority operator of Arctic LNG 2, has assembled over the past 18 months.
Growing shadow fleet
For Norway, this trend is increasingly relevant. Shadow fleet vessels have frequently been observed operating with deactivated AIS transponders, obscuring their identity, position, and movements.
Such ships have also been seen loitering and circling off the Norwegian coast in the Barents Sea while awaiting cargoes. These practices undermine maritime transparency, increase the risk of accidents, and violate established international rules and norms for safe navigation.
As Alexey Kosygin’s successful NSR transit shows, Russia is steadily building the capacity to sustain Arctic LNG exports despite sanctions.
For neighboring Arctic states, particularly Norway, the challenge is no longer theoretical: it is unfolding in real time along some of the world’s most environmentally sensitive and strategically important sea lanes.