As a mounting number of Russia's shadow fleet ships sails across the Northern Sea Route to Chinese ports, a Beijing-led business delegation comes to Arkhangelsk to discuss shipping.
Chinese General Consul in St. Petersburg Luo Zhanhui takes a closer look at the Northern Dvina, the river that plays a key role in current Chinese-Russian Arctic cooperation. Photo: Port of Arkhangelsk on VK
Atle Staalesen
27 November 2025
THE BARENTS OBSERVER
Our sea port is the key point of cooperation between Arkhangelsk and China, the port administration declared as a Chinese delegation paid a visit in mid-November.
The delegation was headed by General Consul in St. Petersburg Luo Zhanhui. It included several business representatives, among them Ke Jin, the leader of the New New Shipping Line.
Our sea port is the key point of cooperation between Arkhangelsk and China, the port administration declared as a Chinese delegation paid a visit in mid-November.
The delegation was headed by General Consul in St. Petersburg Luo Zhanhui. It included several business representatives, among them Ke Jin, the leader of the New New Shipping Line.
A Chinese business delegation headed by Consul General in St. Petersburg Luo Zhanhui met with Arkhangelsk Minister of Economic Development Yevgenia Shelyuk and representatives of the Arkhangelsk Sea Port. Photo: Arkhangelsk Sea Port on VK
The Chinese shipping company is in the process of significantly strengthening its position in the Russian North. Reportedly, a total of 17,500 containers have been shipped between Chinese ports and northern Russia since 2024. The number of import and export shipments amounts to 14, according to the Arkhangelsk Sea Port.
The NewNew Shipping Line is known as the owner of the NewNew Polar Bear, a ship that was suspected of sabotage against underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea in 2023.
The company NewNew Shipping Lines has major plans for container traffic in Arctic waters. Picture: Poster on website of the NewNew Shipping Lines
Since 2024, the NewNew Polar Bear and several of its sister ships have shuttled along the Northern Sea Route. According to Arkhangelsk Governor Aleksandr Tsybulsky, his region primarily supplies woodworking products to China and receives mainly technological products, machine-building products and components for the automotive industry in return.
The first Chinese container carrier arrived in Arkhangelsk in August 2024. Photo: Chinese General Consulate in St. Petersburg on Telegram
The Chinese shipping company cooperates with Torgmoll, a company which is closely connected with Russian business interests.
The NewNew Shipping Line is actively seeking to boost cooperation also with the region of Murmansk, and Director Fan Yuxin in late September met with regional Governor Andrei Chibis.
Both parties are determined to work for more shipments and better port infrastructure in the region, Chibis emphasised in the meeting, and added that the ultimate plan is to be able to offer year-round shipments between the countries on the Northern Sea Route.
In the Chinese business delegation that visited Arkhangelsk this month was also Denpak Dao, a representative of the Chinese city of Qingdao. The port of Qingdao is known as a Chinese hub for Russian crude oil imports. It also has direct container shipping route connections with Russian ports like Vladivostok and Vostochny.
Russia's so-called shadow fleet tankers have made hundreds of port calls at Qingdao.
Since the start of its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine and the subsequent introduction of massive international sanctions, Moscow has developed a major fleet of shadow vessels that brings sanctioned oil and other goods to international markets.
The shadow fleet is increasingly sailing also in the Arctic. In 2025, a major share of the vessels that made transit voyages on the Northern Sea Route was 'shadow tankers.' Many of them had Chinese ports as their destinations.
Other Chinese ports involved in Arctic shipments are Dalian, Shanghai, Ningbo-Zhoushan and Taicang.
Symptomatically, one of the last ships to sail on the route in November before sea ice covered the waters was the Buran, an LNG carrier that is sanctioned by the EU, USA, UK and several other countries.
The Buran (previously named North Air) is among Russia's sanctioned 'shadow fleet' carriers. Photo: belokamenka51 on VK
The Buran has, along with its sister vessels Iris, Voskhod and Zarya, repeatedly transported LNG from the sanctioned gas plant Arctic LNG 2 to China.
Arctic shipments between the two dictatorships are due to increase even more in the coming years. In connection with the first container shipment to Arkhangelsk in August 2024, a Chinese diplomat emphasised that shipments on the Northern Sea Route "demonstrate the successful cooperation between China and Russia in the field of logistics routes."
Chinese visitors at the Port of Arkhangelsk pay respect at a new war memorial. Photo: Arkhangelsk Sea Port on VK
The rulers in Beijing have a clear plan to strengthen Chinese engagement in the Arctic, and in 2018 published an ambitious Arctic Policy.
According to the NewNew Shipping Company, its plans for shipments on the Northern Sea Route is a response to the government's white paper.
"[…] NewNew Shipping actively responded to the national call and expanded its business with a strong sense of mission, successfully opening up Arctic shipping routes. NewNew Shipping deeply understands that participating in the development of Arctic routes is not only a good opportunity for corporate development, but also a sacred mission to contribute to the country's strategic layout," a statement [translated from Chinese] from the company reads.
The cooperation with Russia appears to be a key part of China's Arctic strategy.
In a column that praises China's 15th Five-Year Plan, Consul General in St. Petersburg Luo Zhanhui highlights the importance of Chinese-Russian relations.
"Currently, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China-Russia relations are at their best historical period. […]China is willing to work with Russia, guided by the consensus reached by the two heads of state, to strengthen solidarity and cooperation in various fields, jointly implement global development initiatives, global security initiatives, global civilization initiatives, and global governance initiatives, and work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind."
With backing from Beijing, LNG carrier sails Arctic route to banned Russian gas terminal
The Buran is part of a tanker fleet that continues to shuttle to Novatek's sanctioned LNG terminal in the far northern Gydan Peninsula. The Russian company now gives Chinese buyers a major discount on gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.
'Shadow fleet' tankers shuttle on Northern Sea Route with liquified gas from Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 project. Chinese buyers now get a major discount on the sanctioned LNG. Photo: Novatek
Atle Staalesen
20 November 2025
According to Reuters, Chinese companies can now buy gas from the Arctic LNG 2 with a 30-40 percent discount.
It is the Buran and its sister vessels Iris, Voskhod and Zarya that serve the Russian-Chinese cooperation.
The four tankers, all of them on international sanction lists, are operating as 'shadow vessels' for Novatek. In April 2025, they all changed names. The North Air, North Mountain, North Sky and North Way became Buran, Voskhod, Iris and Zarya respectively. They also changed their flag state from Panama to Russia.
The ships all have standard Arc4, which allows them to sail in light sea ice. Under tougher conditions, Arc4 tankers need escort from icebreakers.
As the Buran made its way across the Northern Sea Route in early November this year it was escorted by the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika
The Buran is part of a tanker fleet that continues to shuttle to Novatek's sanctioned LNG terminal in the far northern Gydan Peninsula. The Russian company now gives Chinese buyers a major discount on gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project.
'Shadow fleet' tankers shuttle on Northern Sea Route with liquified gas from Novatek's Arctic LNG 2 project. Chinese buyers now get a major discount on the sanctioned LNG. Photo: Novatek
Atle Staalesen
20 November 2025
THE BARENTS OBSERVER
The 293-metre-long gas carrier arrived in the port of Utrenny on November 14, and a few days later set out from the ice-covered Gulf of Ob. On November 20, the tanker was on its way into the Kara Sea with the course for China.
The 293-metre-long gas carrier arrived in the port of Utrenny on November 14, and a few days later set out from the ice-covered Gulf of Ob. On November 20, the tanker was on its way into the Kara Sea with the course for China.
After having sailed the Northern Sea Route from China, the Buran on November 20, 2025 set out from the port of Utrenny fully loaded with gas from the Arctic LNG 2 project. Map: goradar.ru
Utrenny is the name of the terminal of the Arctic LNG 2. The major Russian gas project is built on the tundra of the Gydan Peninsula. It has been sanctioned by the US since 2023 and the UK since 2024.
The international ban against the Arctic LNG 2 notwithstanding, production at the project's two gravity-based production structures has continued and LNG carriers have made at least 12 shipments to the Utrenneye terminal in 2025.
It is China that is keeping the controversial project running. And the backing from Beijing is likely to continue. Project owner Novatek is now granting Chinese buyers a major discount on LNG from the project.
Utrenny is the name of the terminal of the Arctic LNG 2. The major Russian gas project is built on the tundra of the Gydan Peninsula. It has been sanctioned by the US since 2023 and the UK since 2024.
The international ban against the Arctic LNG 2 notwithstanding, production at the project's two gravity-based production structures has continued and LNG carriers have made at least 12 shipments to the Utrenneye terminal in 2025.
It is China that is keeping the controversial project running. And the backing from Beijing is likely to continue. Project owner Novatek is now granting Chinese buyers a major discount on LNG from the project.
According to Reuters, Chinese companies can now buy gas from the Arctic LNG 2 with a 30-40 percent discount.
It is the Buran and its sister vessels Iris, Voskhod and Zarya that serve the Russian-Chinese cooperation.
The four tankers, all of them on international sanction lists, are operating as 'shadow vessels' for Novatek. In April 2025, they all changed names. The North Air, North Mountain, North Sky and North Way became Buran, Voskhod, Iris and Zarya respectively. They also changed their flag state from Panama to Russia.
The ships all have standard Arc4, which allows them to sail in light sea ice. Under tougher conditions, Arc4 tankers need escort from icebreakers.
As the Buran made its way across the Northern Sea Route in early November this year it was escorted by the nuclear-powered icebreaker Arktika
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