Russia is expanding its dark fleet beyond oil tankers into liquefied natural gas, with three 20-year-old LNG carriers recently sold to a newly formed company in Turkey and two subsequently reflagged to Sierra Leone – a registry that has become a flagging hub of choice for sanctioned Russian-linked tonnage, according to maritime intelligence firm Windward. The three vessels have yet to signal any post-sale cargo destination. Two are currently sailing in ballast around the Cape of Good Hope, expected to bunker at Port Elizabeth or Cape Town, while the third is anchored off Galle, Sri Lanka – a well-known hub for crew changes and resupply. The pattern of idle repositioning and destination opacity is a hallmark of dark fleet operations. The acquisition strategy follows the established Russian dark fleet playbook precisely: ageing tonnage purchased through newly formed entities with no operating history and opaque beneficial ownership structures, then routed exclusively into Russian trades beyond Western oversight. Russia is mirroring in gas what it has already achieved in oil The timing is no coincidence. Sanctions on Russian LNG are tightening sharply. In November, the UK government announced a maritime services ban on Russian LNG shipped to third countries, effectively barring most Western-affiliated carriers given their reliance on Lloyd’s-linked insurers. In February, three Greek-owned LNG carriers chartered to the Yamal Arctic gas project were sanctioned by the UK. From April, Russian LNG shipments to Europe on the spot market are banned, with long-term contract volumes to be phased out by year-end. Sierra Leone’s emergence as a flag state for this trade is stark. Of 156 tankers and gas carriers broadcasting AIS signals under Sierra Leone’s flag in the past 60 days, 93 are sanctioned by the US, EU or UK – all in connection with Russia. The registry is managed by a Cyprus-domiciled private company on behalf of the government. Windward notes Russia began developing a nascent LNG dark fleet more than 18 months ago. It has since grown to 18 sanctioned LNG carriers, ranging from older acquired tonnage to newer ice-class vessels purpose-built for Arctic LNG developments. The three latest acquisitions suggest that with European LNG sanctions now moving from ambiguity to enforcement, Moscow is accelerating its push to build parallel logistics infrastructure entirely outside Western jurisdiction – mirroring, in gas, what it has already achieved in oil. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1_95_0_1_2'); }); TagsRussia