Danish shipyard keeps Putin’s Arctic LNG fleet afloat ahead of EU sanctions

03 July 2026 , 20:15

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A Danish shipyard is giving the Arctic liquefied natural gas carriers that generate crucial cash for Vladimir Putin’s war effort one last round of maintenance before EU sanctions take effect next year.

As reported by Politico, that potentially allows the vessels to keep operating for years after the bloc bans such work.

Only a handful of shipyards worldwide have the dry docks and technical expertise needed to service these specialized icebreaking carriers. Until last year, two were in the EU: Dutch shipbuilder Damen and Denmark’s Fayard. After Damen withdrew from the business, Fayard became the bloc’s only shipyard carrying out the work.

The EU’s ban on such maintenance, agreed earlier this year, will not take effect until January, meaning the work remains legal for now. But campaigners argue every overhaul helps preserve one of the Kremlin’s most valuable sources of export revenue.

"As the only shipyard in the EU that continues to service the specialized Arc7 ice-class LNG carriers, it is effectively helping sustain Russia’s Arctic LNG exports," Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s adviser for sanctions policy, said this week.

Because the specialized vessels typically undergo major overhauls only once every two to three years, maintenance carried out this summer could keep them sailing long after European companies are no longer allowed to service them, reducing the practical impact of the sanctions before they even take effect.

"This is kind of the last hurrah," said Malte Humpert, a shipping expert and investigative journalist. "If you know you’ll no longer be able to service these vessels in Europe from January, you’ll try to get as much maintenance done as possible now so you don’t have to worry about them for the next few years."

The Rudolf Samoylovich arrived at Fayard on June 30, according to navigational data. The ship is one of the 15 Arc7 carriers that transport LNG from Russia’s massive high Arctic Yamal project. Environmental campaigners from German NGO Urgewald say it is the first of up to six vessels expected to undergo maintenance at the Danish yard this summer.

Summer is the fleet’s final major maintenance window thanks to the seasonal Arctic sea ice retreat, which allows conventional LNG carriers to temporarily replace the specialized vessels on parts of the route. Unlike conventional LNG tankers, Arc7 vessels are icebreaking ships designed to operate year-round through Arctic waters.

The Danish shipyard told POLITICO it is following current EU policy. "We service specific international vessels transporting LNG to Europe to help support Europe’s energy supply," the company said.

"It is a fact that there remains substantial trade between the EU and Russia in goods that European countries continue to require," the company added. "Fayard does not service Russian vessels. We service vessels owned by international shipping companies operating between the Yamal terminal and European ports in full compliance with all rules and guidelines."

Crucial for gas

Humpert argued the Arc7 fleet has been indispensable to Russia’s LNG trade. "The EU has spent around $40 billion on Russian LNG since the beginning of the war," he said. "That has only been possible because of these 15 ships."

While the ships could also be serviced in China, South Korea or Japan, those facilities are much further from the Yamal-Europe trade route, making maintenance more time-consuming and expensive.

Campaigners argue that shipyards complying with current rules is not enough.

"Fayard is taking the easy way out when they say the business is still legal," said Sebastian Rötters, a sanctions campaigner at Urgewald. "Surely they can see what Russia is doing in Ukraine, how Russia is carrying out hybrid attacks, infiltrating tanker crews, and thereby threatening Europe’s security. Every Arc7 tanker serviced in Denmark helps preserve one of the Kremlin’s most strategically important energy projects."

"At a time when Ukrainians continue to pay with their lives, no Danish company should be helping to keep the Kremlin’s fossil fuel fleet operational," added Danish Green MEP Villy Søvndal. "The message to Fayard should be clear: Stand with Ukraine, not with Putin’s gas exports."

Vlasiuk called on the Danish authorities to step in.

"Every tanker repaired in Europe generates millions of additional dollars that the Kremlin can turn into weapons. European technology must not be used to sustain Russia’s war machine," he said in a statement.