Razom We Stand welcomes today’s UK sanctions on Novatek Gas and Power Asia Pte Ltd and six Russian LNG carriers, part of a 31-designation package announced on 1 October. Wholly owned by Novatek PJSC, its Singapore subsidiary markets volumes from Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 into Asia and, in 2022, signed long-term deals to supply Arctic LNG 2 cargoes to China.
The designated tankers include three Novatek-operated ice-class carriers, ALEKSEY KOSYGIN, KONSTANTIN POSIET and PYOTR STOLYPIN, which are all part of the newly built Russian Ice-class LNG fleet. As further restrictions on UK-managed vessels are expected in 2027, Russia continues to expand its domestically built Arctic fleet, and every carrier taken out of service limits how much LNG Novatek can move and earn.
Dr. Svitlana Romanko, founder and director of Razom We Stand, said:
“The UK is hitting Russia’s gas business where it hurts: targeting Novatek’s trading subsidiary and its ability to sell and to ship Arctic LNG cargoes. But Novatek runs both Yamal LNG and the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2, and Yamal is still waved through by a UK licence that lets British insurers and brokers keep its cargoes moving in 2026, facilitating billions in revenue. London should keep to its promises to strengthen sanctions on Russian energy revenues by continuing to target Novatek and its international assets, and by meaningfully banning UK companies from servicing all Russian LNG exports, so that Arctic gas stops paying for the war. It’s vital to close these loopholes for Russian revenues in order to bring the war to a rapid end.”
Novatek is the controlling and operating entity behind both the Yamal LNG and Arctic LNG 2 projects. Yet when the UK’s ban on maritime services for Russian LNG took effect in May 2026, a general trade licence exempted UK companies servicing Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 shipments from this ban until 1 January 2027, so Novatek’s most profitable projects continue to earn billions using UK services, including insurance, brokering and fleet management.
Razom We Stand calls on the UK government to:
- Ban UK companies from servicing all Russian LNG exports, with no further extension of trade licenses for Yamal LNG and Sakhalin-2 in 2027.
- Designate tankers shipping Russian LNG and close all services to the sanctioned tankers, including UK-designated and insured tankers: Clean Planet, Clean Ocean & Clean Vision.
- Extend sanctions to Novatek PJSC and its subsidiaries.
- Coordinate with the EU, the USA, and the G7 to end all exemptions granted to Russian energy projects and close the remaining loopholes that allow companies operating within those jurisdictions to continue facilitating Russian energy exports.
