Russia’s efforts to sustain Arctic LNG exports have taken two notable steps this winter. A new ice-class LNG tanker, Alexey Kosygin, has reached the vicinity of the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant in northern Siberia, highlighting Moscow’s push to operate independently in harsh ice conditions. [Bloomberg]

At the same time, the Arctic LNG 2 project has delivered its first LNG shipment to China this year, a milestone in spite of ongoing Western sanctions on key vessels and equipment. According to industry sources, this vessel movement underscores continued export flows even as restrictions (including on foreign-built ice-class carriers) remain in place. [Reuters/UNN]

The Alexey Kosygin, Russia’s first domestically built Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker, completed a roughly month-long transit via the Northern Sea Route and arrived near the Arctic LNG 2 loading facility, a development that could expand Russia’s year-round shipping capacity in the Arctic. The Arc7 class allows independent navigation in thick ice that typically restricts conventional carriers.

Until now, Arctic LNG 2’s winter export capability has been limited by a shortage of suitable ice-class vessels; previous shipments to Asia relied on a small number of existing ice-capable tankers. The newly built Russian vessel may help alleviate this bottleneck, offering enhanced logistics flexibility on the Northern Sea Route.

The first shipment of LNG to China this year from the Arctic LNG 2 site marks a key operational success for Novatek and its partners, reinforcing that market deliveries continue despite sanctions aimed at curbing Russia’s energy revenue. Freight markets will be watching closely to see whether these developments translate into more stable or increased volumes from the Arctic region.