The analysis is based on maritime traffic monitoring data using the AIS system. Calculation covers all 2025 voyages that departed from the port of Sabetta before June 1, including those still en route at the time of publication. For comparison, data for the same period in 2024 are also provided.
From January 1 to May 31, 2025, we recorded 120 LNG shipments from the port of Sabetta. A total of 14 Arc-7 ice class carriers were involved in transportation. The vessel Christophe de Margerie was not used in 2025. During the same period in 2024, there were 123 shipments involving 15 Arc-7 LNG carriers. The average number of shipments per month in 2025 was 24, which is approximately the same as in 2024. Thus, the total number of shipments for the period under review in 2025 is comparable to the level of the previous year. Nevertheless, the reduction by 3 cargo batches of approximately 74,000 tons each decreases the total cargo volume by around 220,000 tons.
Chart 1. Number of LNG Shipments from Sabetta in the Period January–May in 2024 and 2025.
Changes in the geography of deliveries
In 2025, there have been some changes in the export structure. During the first 5 months, transshipments near Kildin Island doubled compared to the same period in 2024, rising from 12 to 24. In contrast, sailings to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge dropped by 16. Shipments to Spain also declined, while traffic to the Netherlands saw a slight increase. As of the time of publication, the destination port for 4 voyages remains unclear. More detailed data are presented in Table 1, which also shows the number of voyages for the same period in 2024.
Table 1. Comparative N of LNG voyages from the port of Sabetta by country and period
Transshipment near Kildin Island
Throughout the entire year of 2024, transshipment near Kildin Island was carried out 19 times. In the first 5 months of 2025, it has already occurred 24 times. In 2025, 3 Arc-7 ice class vessels participated in these operations: Nikolay Urvantsev, Vladimir Rusanov, and Vladimir Vize. In addition, each of these vessels completed 3 – 4 voyages to European ports. The remaining 11 Arc-7 ice class vessels conducted direct LNG deliveries to Europe. The distribution of voyages by vessel is presented in Table 2.
Table 2. Distribution of LNG Voyages from Sabetta by Vessel and Destination
Further movement of LNG after transshipment
From January to May 2025, 16 different vessels of lower ice class transported LNG after transshipment near Kildin Island. In total, they made 24 voyages: 15 were bound for China, one each for South Korea and Taiwan. The destination ports for 7 ongoing voyages are still unknown. Detailed information about vessels and their destinations is provided in Table 3.
Table 3. Voyages after transshipment near Kildin Island in the period January–May 2025
For the 17 completed voyages involving transshipment near Kildin Island, the average delivery time to Asia, calculated from Sabetta, was 50 days. Of this, approximately 7 days on average were spent on delivery and transshipment operation near Kildin.
For comparison, transportation from Sabetta to Belgium and the Netherlands takes about 8 days, to France 9 days, and to Portugal and Spain around 10 days. Delivery from Sabetta to Asia via the NSR during summer season of 2024 took between 16 and 20 days. This is roughly 3 times faster than the southern route involving transshipment near Kildin Island.
Map 1. LNG tanker traffic from Sabetta and after transshipment near Kildin Island, January–May 2025.
The tracks of 11 Arc- 7 ice class LNG carriers are marked red, the voyages from Kildin Island are marked in blue, and the tracks of the 3 LNG carriers that delivered cargo for transshipment near Kildin Island are marked in green.
The upcoming summer navigation season
Last year, Arc-7 ice class LNG carriers began eastbound voyages at the end of June. Starting from July 1, additional Arc4-class ice-class vessels joined the transport from Sabetta, and in August, non-ice-class vessels were also involved.
As of June 1, 2025, 9 LNG carriers that had previously participated in Yamal LNG exports have received permits to navigate in the NSR starting from July 1.
Next update on shipments from Yamal LNG in 2025 is scheduled for mid-September 2025.
