On June 30, the LNG tanker Rudolf Samoylovich called at Denmark’s Fayard shipyard, becoming the first ice-class Arc7 vessel expected to undergo maintenance since members of the B4Ukraine Coalition warned the company could provide a final European lifeline to the specialised fleet keeping the Kremlin’s flagship Yamal LNG project operating. Fayard is the last shipyard in the EU still servicing these vessels.
The arrival marks the start of a final repair window for the Arc7 tanker fleet, before new EU restrictions against Russian LNG take effect in January 2027.
In June, Urgewald published research showing Fayard is the final EU shipyard continuing to service the Arc7 fleet after Damen Shiprepair Brest stopped servicing Arc7 vessels after August 2024. The specialised ice class carriers are indispensable to transporting liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Yamal LNG project through Arctic waters.
According to Urgewald’s analysis, up to six Arc7 vessels could require servicing during summer 2026. Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine, these vessels have each transported an average of 5.3 million tonnes of Russian LNG, representing around €4 billion in cargo value.
Vladyslav Vlasiuk, Advisor – Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Sanctions Policy, said:
“Arctic LNG projects, particularly Yamal LNG, are among the Kremlin’s most important sources of wartime revenue. The Yamal project alone accounts for more than 60% of Russia’s total LNG exports. In this context, the Danish shipyard Fayard has unfortunately become a critical link in the aggressor’s logistics chain. 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. Without this maintenance, Russia would face a logistical bottleneck in the Arctic, significantly reducing its ability to generate the revenues that finance its war against Ukraine.
Yet despite sanctions, vessels supporting Russia’s LNG exports continue to receive maintenance in European ports. Between July 2023 and June 2025, Fayard serviced 11 Russian LNG carriers. Right now, another vessel, Rudolf Samoylovich, has arrived at the shipyard for maintenance. Moreover, according to available information, as many as six additional tankers are expected to be serviced there this summer, including Georgiy Brusilov, Boris Davydov, Vladimir Vize, Nikolay Zubov, and Nikolay Yevgenov. This is unacceptable. The servicing of vessels that enable Russia’s LNG exports on the territory of the European Union must end immediately.
There are already positive examples of both responsible corporate conduct and decisive law enforcement. For instance, the Dutch shipbuilder Damen has publicly confirmed that it has stopped servicing Russian LNG carriers at its French shipyard. In addition, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service has opened a criminal investigation into suspected violations of EU sanctions.
We call on the Danish authorities and European regulators to act decisively and introduce a clear legal prohibition without delay. 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.”
Villy Søvndal, Danish MEP for the Greens/European Free Alliance, said:
“On Tuesday, a tanker used to transport Russian LNG arrived at Fayard. This is a stark reminder that Europe still has gaps in its sanctions regime. At a time when Ukrainians continue to pay with their lives, no Danish company should be helping to keep the Kremlin’s fossil fuel fleet operational. The message to Fayard should be clear: stand with Ukraine, not with Putin’s gas exports.”
Pil Christensen, a substitute member of the Danish Parliament for the Red-Green Alliance, said:
“The arrival of the Rudolf Samoylovich at Fayard raises serious questions. Denmark should not become a service station for the fleet that keeps Putin’s LNG exports moving while Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
I will ask the government to explain how this was allowed to happen, and what it will do to prevent more Arc7 LNG tankers from being maintained in Denmark this summer.”
Martin Rhodes, Labour MP for Glasgow North, where Seapeak Maritime is based, said:
“It is concerning to read reports that a shipping business with an office here in Glasgow is involved in managing a vessel serving Russia’s Arctic LNG trade and that it is being maintained in Europe so it can continue carrying cargoes that help sustain Russian revenues.
The UK has moved to restrict maritime services for Russian LNG, but this case shows why the remaining loopholes must be closed as soon as possible. British-linked shipping should not be helping keep Putin’s Arctic gas lifeline afloat.”
Sebastian Rötters, Sanctions campaigner at Urgewald, said:
“Fayard is taking the easy way out when they say the business is still legal. Surely they can see what Russia is doing in Ukraine, how Russia is carrying out hybrid attacks, infiltrating tanker crews, and thereby threatening Europe’s security. Every Arc7 tanker serviced in Denmark helps preserve one of the Kremlin’s most strategically important energy projects.
In light of the upcoming new EU sanctions, Fayard must no longer contribute to extending the operability of these ships.”
Nezir Sinani, Executive Director of B4Ukraine, said:
“As suspected Russian drones breach Danish airspace and Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warns that Europe is already living through a hybrid war led by Russia, it is indefensible for a Danish company to continue servicing the vessels that keep the Kremlin’s LNG revenues flowing. Every Arc7 tanker repaired by Fayard helps sustain the revenue Russia uses to wage war against Ukraine and threaten the rest of Europe, including Denmark.
It is deeply troubling that while Danish society has stood firmly with Ukraine, Fayard appears willing to put commercial interests ahead of Europe’s security and the values Denmark has consistently championed.”
Svitlana Romanko, Founder and Executive Director of Razom We Stand, said:
“The Arc7 fleet is indispensable to Russia’s Yamal LNG project, and as long as they are available to Russia to sustain its LNG exports, the resulting revenues will continue to finance Russia’s war against Ukraine. Every time Fayard services one of these vessels, it extends the operational life of a fleet that underpins one of the Kremlin’s key energy projects.
Fayard chose to continue supporting this trade while it remains legal, when, in truth, it should have cut off all servicing of the Russian LNG fleet earlier, in line with Europe’s broader effort to cut off the financial lifelines sustaining Russia’s aggression. The EU should also move quickly to close the remaining loopholes by prohibiting all maritime services that enable Russian fossil fuel exports.”
The arrival also comes amid fresh security concerns over Russia’s LNG shipping network. Investigative reporting published this week showed the Russian LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevskiy sailing in the Baltic Sea with heavy machine guns on board, while reporters also identified people with Russian military backgrounds travelling on the vessel.
Previous reporting has also alleged that Russia’s Federal Security Service sought to tighten control over the Yamal LNG fleet by replacing Western officers with Russian personnel. The revelations show that the vessels moving and supporting Russian gas exports are increasingly part of a wider security problem for Europe.
B4Ukraine, Urgewald, and Razom We Stand are calling on Fayard to refuse any further maintenance work on Arc7 LNG carriers and on the Danish government to stop any further ships from arriving, to ensure that European companies do not contribute to sustaining Russia’s LNG exports beyond 2026.