UK sanctions three Arc7 LNG carriers, including Pyotr Stolypin before her delivery

The United Kingdom has imposed shipping and trade sanctions on the three newest Arc7 ice-class LNG carriers built for Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project, including one that has not yet entered service. Aleksey Kosygin, Konstantin Posiet and Pyotr Stolypin were among eight ships added to the UK sanctions list on 1 October in a package of 31 designations.

The listing bars the ships from UK ports and prohibits chartering or operating them, as well as the provision of a broad range of technical, crewing, brokering and financial services. In the Foreign Office's sanctions notice, the grounds for Aleksey Kosygin and Konstantin Posiet are that they carry Russian-origin LNG to third countries. Pyotr Stolypin was designated because she is likely to become involved in such shipments. The notice lists Novatek and SPG Shipping as owner-operators of the first two and Novatek for the third.

The three ships are part of a five-ship series from the Zvezda shipyard. Each is 300 metres long, carries about 172,600 cubic metres of LNG and can operate independently in ice more than two metres thick. Aleksey Kosygin entered service in December 2025, loaded her first Arctic LNG 2 cargo in the Gulf of Ob on 28 January 2026 and discharged it into floating storage in Ura Bay on 3 February. Konstantin Posiet, named on 18 June 2026, was listed under her construction name Zvezda 045 and has already sailed the Northern Sea Route to the project. Pyotr Stolypin was being prepared for sea trials on 2 September, and two further ships are being completed. The US Treasury identified Aleksey Kosygin and Pyotr Stolypin as blocked property linked to Sovcomflot in June 2024, and the US and EU had already sanctioned all three.

The other five ships are older. Chaivo, listed with Tudor Maritime and CryoLine Management, and Gazprom's Portovyy, used as floating storage at the Portovaya plant since 2022, are conventional LNG carriers. The notice also lists Avacha, under Tudor Maritime, the Turkish-flagged Bebek-E, built in 1979, and the Sri Lanka-registered crew and offshore support vessel Galle Energy.

The package also designates Novatek Gas & Power Asia, Novatek's Singapore-based chartering arm, and 23 individuals and entities linked to the detention and ill-treatment of Ukrainian civilians and to propaganda aimed at children. The UK extended its existing waivers for LNG imports by South Korea and Japan, citing their financial support for Ukraine and their energy security.

Minister for Europe Lord Wood said Russia fired "over 3,100 jet-powered drones in September", more than in August. The UK has now sanctioned about 600 ships, while the EU's 21st package brought its own list to 673.

This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 5 October 2026.