Putin Visits Zvezda Shipyard Building Arctic 2 LNG Tankers
President Vladimir Putin visited the Zvezda shipyard in Bolshoy Kamen on September 2, where he inspected the Arc7 Class icebreaking LNG carrier Pyotr Stolypin. The tanker is one of five being built at the yard to service the Arctic LNG 2 project, which has been scaled down due to sanctions. The lead tanker, Aleksey Kosygin, is already OFAC-sanctioned and was last spotted offloading in China.
Why it matters: This visit underscores the theme of sanctions and their impact on Russian energy infrastructure, as the Arctic LNG 2 project has been curtailed by foreign partner withdrawal and equipment export halts.