Ukraine's sanctions chief lambasts last EU shipyard servicing Russia's LNG fleet

A top Ukrainian sanctions official said Denmark's Fayard shipyard is helping Russia sustain its liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports by servicing its specialized tanker fleet, as reported by the environmental and sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald on July 2.

Fayard has faced scrutiny from campaigners and officials for being the last EU shipyard still helping to maintain the Arc7 tankers that ship gas for Russia's Yamal LNG venture.

"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," said Vladyslav Vlasiuk, a presidential advisor for sanctions policy.

Yamal LNG, located on Russia's Arctic Yamal Peninsula, is one of the country's largest LNG projects, accounting for over 60% of its total LNG exports.

The facility exports gas worldwide using a fleet of specialized ice-class tankers designed for extreme conditions.

The Danish Fayard shipyard, located close to the city of Odense, received the LNG tanker Rudolf Samoylovich on June 30, according to Urgewald's statement shared with the Kyiv Independent. This was the first of up to six tankers that Fayard is expected to receive before the EU's ban on Russian LNG imports takes effect in January 2027, the NGO said.

Each of these vessels has reportedly transported an average of 5.3 million metric tons of Russian LNG since the outbreak of the full-scale war in 2022, representing about $4.6 billion in cargo value.

In a statement reported by the Financial Times in June, Fayard said the "(European) Commission has decided LNG from Yamal is necessary for European energy supply until 2027, and therefore, we service specific vessels sailing to European ports delivering the LNG to Europe to ensure maritime safety and support the EU."

Danish and EU authorities must intervene "without delay," Vlasiuk said, citing Dutch shipbuilder Damen's confirmation that it had already ceased servicing Russian LNG vessels as evidence that such action is possible.

The EU-wide ban on Russian LNG, set to take effect at the start of next year, is part of a broader push to wean Europe off Russian energy, thereby stifling cash flow into Moscow's war chest.

Despite partial restrictions already in effect, EU imports of Russian LNG rose by nearly 18% in the first five months of 2026.

"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," Vlasiuk said in a statement shared the same day when Russia launched a mass attack on Kyiv, killing at least 20 people.