EU Lifts Sanctions On 3 LNG Ships After Firm Confirms Exit From Russian Gas Trade

The European Union (EU) has lifted sanctions on three liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers managed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), one of the largest shipping companies in the world.

The ships, North Light, North Moon, and North Ocean, were previously added to the EU’s sanctions list for transporting Russian LNG, but have now been removed after the company gave strong assurances that these vessels will no longer be involved in shipping Russian energy.

This decision is part of the EU’s 18th round of sanctions against Russia, which was announced recently. While the package added 105 more tankers to the list, mostly from Russia’s “shadow fleet”, these three ships were delisted in what seems to be the first time the EU has reversed sanctions in the Russian LNG sector.

The European Commission confirmed that the three LNG tankers were removed from the sanctions list after receiving firm assurances that they would no longer transport Russian energy from the Yamal and Arctic 2 projects, which they were initially assigned to.

The tankers were built in 2023 at South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean shipyard, specifically designed with medium Arc4 ice-class protection. This allows them to sail through ice-covered waters on Russia’s Northern Sea Route, especially during early spring and late autumn when other conventional LNG ships are unable to operate.

These three ships had only recently started operations and were expected to carry cargoes for Novatek’s Yamal LNG project. There were also expectations that they might later be used to carry shipments from the Arctic LNG 2 project, which is already under heavier sanctions.

The tankers were sanctioned in the EU’s 17th package, issued two months ago.

Following the sanctions, MOL, Japan’s second-largest shipping company, raised concerns and began working with authorities to resolve the matter. The company had issued a statement saying it would fully cooperate with the EU and Japanese government, and follow all laws and international rules.

MOL’s CEO, Takeshi Hashimoto, in an interview at the end of May 2025, expressed his disappointment over the sanctions and stated that the company had begun lobbying efforts through various channels, including the Japanese government. He also mentioned that although the Yamal LNG project was not previously considered to be under sanctions, the ships were suddenly affected.

When the sanctions were announced, North Ocean was en route to the Arctic, but changed direction near the Canary Islands and returned to Asia. Since mid-June, it has been idle outside Singapore, and this week it was joined by North Light. Both ships have shown limited activity since the sanctions were imposed. North Moon has also remained mostly inactive.

The European Commission, in its latest announcement, said this case proves that sanctions can be lifted when strong guarantees are provided, and that sanctioned ships can return to service if they meet all conditions.

Reference: Reuters

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