Four sanctioned Russian vessels appear to be heading to Asia with cargoes from Arctic LNG 2 following U.S. and Russian talks in Alaska last week.

Bar chart showing Russian Federation annual LNG exports by destination region from 2022 to 2025. Exports were around 33 million tons in 2022 and 2023, slightly higher in 2024, then dropped below 20 million tons in 2025. Europe and Asia accounted for most volumes, while exports to the Americas and unknown destinations were minimal. Data compiled by NGI from Kpler.

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Since late June, Russian-controlled LNG carriers have loaded and idled around PAO Novatek’s 10.8 million ton/year capacity facility in the Arctic Circle despite U.S. sanctions. Earlier in the month, the Christophe De Margerie became the fourth vessel to load at the facility after a six-month quiet period.

Now, all four vessels are headed on a similar route to East Asia with indications that at least two ships could land in China, according to Kpler’s predictive shiptracking data. Most of the vessels began moving eastward Friday (Aug. 15), the same day President Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to talk about a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.