Russian President Visits Zvezda Shipyard Amid Arctic LNG Plans
Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the Zvezda shipyard in Vladivostok, Russia, as part of his Eastern Asia tour, where he inspected the construction of Arc7-class icebreaking liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers. The visit comes amid plans to develop Russia’s Arctic LNG projects, which have been significantly impacted by sanctions and foreign partners’ withdrawal.
The Zvezda shipyard is a strategic location for Russia’s Arctic maritime ambitions, particularly in the development of the Northern Sea Route. The yard is responsible for building icebreaking LNG tankers designed to operate in waters with thicknesses of over 2 meters.
The Arc7-class tankers are being built under a contract with South Korea’s Samsung Heavy Industries and will be operated by Russia’s Sovcomflot. The first vessel, the Aleksey Kosygin (IMO 9904546), was launched in December 2025. However, it is currently listed on the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions list.
Originally, plans called for the construction of 15 Arc7-class tankers, but due to sanctions and foreign partners’ withdrawal, the project has been scaled back to five vessels. The reduced order has resulted in significant delays and increased costs.
Zvezda’s Capacity Expansion
The construction of Arc7-class tankers is not only increasing the shipyard’s capacity but also upgrading Russia’s shipbuilding infrastructure. Specialized facilities are being built to produce azimuth thrusters used on icebreaking vessels, while a new casting plant has been constructed in Primorye to produce large steel plates.
Arctic LNG 2 Project
The challenges faced by Zvezda‘s Arc7-class tanker project are similar to those experienced by the Arctic LNG 2 project. Initially, three LNG production units were planned, but due to sanctions and foreign partners’ withdrawal, only one unit has been completed. This has significantly reduced the project’s overall capacity and the demand for Arc7 tankers.
Putin Inspects Balancing Vessel
During his visit to Zvezda, President Putin also inspected a new long-range deep-sea fishing vessel, the Kapitan Yunak (IMO 9901178). The 9,055-tonne vessel is one of Russia’s newest examples of its next-generation fishing fleet. Notably, it is not currently listed on any sanctions lists.
The visit underscores the importance of Zvezda shipyard in Russia’s Arctic maritime ambitions and the challenges faced by the country’s energy projects due to Western sanctions and foreign partners’ withdrawal.
Original Article: Putin, Zvezda tersanesini ziyaret etti — Denizhaber (Turkish) | View English Translation