The Shadow Fleet and Other Stories

This is the kind of sanction avoidance that should surprise no one. It’s also a way for the Federation to get energy into the global market. What these companies are doing is violating the rules.

We put them in there to force Russia. But the all-mighty dollar matters more to some of these companies. This is precisely how sanctions develop leaks:

Russian icebreakers participate in gas supplies for leading European energy companies🤬 — Unearthed

Nuclear icebreakers are playing a crucial role in transporting liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Russian Arctic to the world’s largest energy companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies and Naturgy, Greenpeace UK’s Unearthed has found.

From December 2023 to May 2024, icebreakers helped LNG tankers pass through Arctic waters when part of the route was blocked by ice. The vessels are operated by the Russian sanctioned company Atomflot.

Since the outbreak of full-scale hostilities in Ukraine, LNG trade has reached record levels. Yamal LNG, which owns the Russian port of Sabetta, has contracts to supply millions of tons of LNG to major European companies, including Shell, TotalEnergies and Naturgy.

“While many world leaders are pressuring Putin to end this terrible war, Shell has no qualms about buying Russian gas shipped…