Tankers linked exclusively to companies outside EU/G7 jurisdictions carried more than half of Russian LNG in June

The role of tankers linked exclusively to companies outside EU/G7 jurisdictions in transporting Russian LNG increased in Q2 2026. In June, these vessels carried 55% of total volumes—twice their average share in Q1. This increase was partly driven by at least seven tankers switching their ship managers from the UK to Singapore. These findings are presented in the Q2 2026 edition of the Russian LNG Tracker by KSE Institute.

Between April and June, Russia exported 8.69 million tonnes of LNG by sea. In June, shipments fell by 34% month-on-month to 2.2 million tonnes. The main reason was scheduled maintenance at the Sakhalin 2 Terminal, which began on June 17. Global seaborne LNG exports totaled 32.3 million tonnes in June. The United States remained the world’s largest exporter, accounting for 32% of the total, while Russia ranked fourth with a 7% share.

Yamal LNG remains the backbone of Russia’s LNG exports. In June, the terminal shipped 1.47 million tonnes, accounting for 65% of the country’s total export volumes. Yamal LNG also accounted for 53% of shipments transported by tankers linked exclusively to companies outside EU/G7 jurisdictions.

China and France remained the main destination markets for Russian LNG in June, together accounting for 45% of total shipments. The Zeebrugge LNG Terminal in Belgium and the Dunkirk LNG Terminal in France received half of the cargoes shipped from Yamal LNG. Meanwhile, 55% of Sakhalin 2 shipments were delivered to China’s Tangshan Caofeidian LNG Terminal and Rudong LNG Terminal (PetroChina).

Ship managers based in Singapore and Japan were responsible for transporting 57% of Russian LNG in June. The same share was carried by vessels whose registered owners were based in these two countries. ISM managers based in Singapore and Bermuda oversaw vessels that transported 57% of total volumes. At the same time, Hong Kong- and Bahamas-flagged tankers transported 52% of Russian LNG. In May 2026, the use of a falsified Guyana flag was recorded for the first time.

In June, 26 unique tankers transported Russian LNG—eight fewer than in May. Of these, 69% belonged to the Conventional (TFDE/DFDE) class. During Q2, the top ten ship management companies accounted for an average of 92% of Russian LNG exports. Seapeak Maritime Singapore, Mitsui Osk Lines Ltd, and Dynagas Ltd jointly transported around 61% of monthly export volumes.

During Q2, 43 unique tankers were involved in transporting Russian LNG, of which 10 were sanctioned. They represented 23% of the active fleet and transported around 0.8 million tonnes of LNG—9% of Russia’s total exports for the quarter. As of July 27, 2026, 31 LNG tankers linked to Russian shipments were under sanctions.