Russia takes control of Arctic LNG 2 heavy-lift carriers Bright and Glory
The two modern module carriers now fly the Russian flag under Eco Shipping after AIS-dark Arctic voyages
Two modern heavy-lift carriers that have delivered construction modules to the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project have passed into Russian hands. Bright and Glory have reappeared on AIS near Murmansk under the Russian flag, after their ownership and management moved to Russia's Eco Shipping LLC.
Equasis confirms the change and lists Guangdong Nan Feng Shipping Co. as the previous owner. No details of the sale, its timing or its price have been made public, and neither ship yet appears in the fleet list on Eco Shipping's website.
Both ships have traded under several names. Glory previously sailed as Nan Feng Zhi Xing and Glory Ocean, while Bright has operated as Zhi Xian Zhi Xing, Hunter Star and Bright Ocean. Both have carried LNG project modules from China to Russia.
What have the two ships carried?
Earlier this year they delivered modules for the project's third production train to Novatek's LNG construction centre at Belokamenka near Murmansk. In September they returned to China and loaded two onshore power-generation modules for the second train. On the voyage north they switched off their AIS transponders while crossing the Pacific towards the Bering Strait in mid-September, and delivered the modules to the Utrenniy terminal that serves Arctic LNG 2 without broadcasting their positions. Satellite imagery placed Glory on the Northern Sea Route in the Chukchi Sea on 23 September.
At least seven more modules for the third train remain in China, according to satellite imagery, some apparently complete and others still under construction. The two carriers could go back for them. Russian ownership could also let them carry modules from Belokamenka or other Russian sites to customers abroad, without relying on foreign-owned ships: Novatek has said it wants to export its LNG technology and offshore platform concepts, with Africa and potentially Alaska among the markets.
Which other heavy-lift ships are under scrutiny?
Two other Chinese heavy-lift carriers with links to Russian Arctic shipping drew attention off Andøya in northern Norway, where Norwegian authorities inspected both. Ya Qing Hai Yang, formerly Ocean 28, delivered a substation module to Arctic LNG 2 in 2024 and needed help from Russian icebreakers and tugs in the ice of the Chukchi Sea. She is sanctioned by the US, the EU and the UK, and was detained by Norway over deficiencies including an invalid flag registration and missing certificates. The second ship, Jian Yang Cheng He, has also sailed the Northern Sea Route.
The transfer extends Russia's shadow fleet from tankers and LNG carriers into project cargo, putting the ships that build its Arctic export plants under domestic control. Independent tracking of that trade has become harder: Russian authorities no longer publish the daily Northern Sea Route traffic logs and have stopped making permit applications and granted permits public.
This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 11 November 2026.
