The recent reflagging of four LNG carriers has raised concerns about Russia's growing shadow fleet in the Arctic region.
These vessels, including Merkuriy , have been integrated into the logistics chain supporting Arctic LNG 2, a sanctioned Russian liquefied natural gas project.
The facility relies on ship-to-ship transfers at offshore infrastructure, especially during winter and spring when sea ice limits access.
Satellite imagery confirmed Merkuriy' s presence alongside the Saam unit over the weekend, underscoring coordinated transfer activity at the hub.
The four ships have been reflagged to Russia from Oman's Asyad Shipping fleet, which was sold en bloc earlier this year for roughly $110 million.
Their new role has sparked mounting evidence that they are being used to support Arctic LNG 2 logistics.
If all four ships are brought into service, the project's effective export transport capacity could rise by roughly 40%.
This increase in capacity would ease bottlenecks created by sanctions and lengthy detours to avoid Mediterranean waters.
The expansion effort comes as Russia faces a looming transport challenge at its older Yamal LNG project.
Industry estimates suggest that this shift could lead to increased competition in the global liquefied natural gas market.
Russian efforts to reduce dependence on Western maritime infrastructure may lead to increased competition
