Russia Appears to Use Dubai-Based Firm to Expand Shadow LNG Fleet

Russia appears to be trying to evade Western sanctions on its LNG tanker fleet by transferring ownership of vessels to a newly-created firm based in a free trade zone in Dubai, Bloomberg reported on Friday. Three LNG tankers, previously managed by the Russian companies Gazprom and Sovcomflot, now have a new owner, a Dubai-based firm. The vessels Velikiy Novgorod, Pskov, and La Perouse saw aspects of their management transferred to Matias Ship Management, the newly established company in Dubai, in September, Bloomberg reported, citing global shipping…