Kamal Ghorui
A Russian liquefied natural gas cargo from the Portovaya plant on the Baltic Sea is currently en route to India, with the vessel Kunpeng expected to arrive at the Dahej LNG terminal. This is according to LSEG shipping data on Wednesday.If delivered, it would mark the first such shipment to India from a US-sanctioned Russian project since US President Donald Trump claimed last year that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had assured a halt to such purchases from Russia. New Delhi, however, never confirmed any commitment to stop buying Russian energy, maintaining that procurement decisions are based on price, supply security and consumer interest.India is one of the world’s largest energy importers. It is currently navigating its fuel sourcing depending on supply disruptions and price volatility triggered by the Middle East conflict and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. “The cargo, if delivered, would open up a second market for US-sanctioned Russian LNG, with all previous deliveries from sanctioned Russian terminals delivering to China’s Beihai,” Reuters reported, citing Martin Senior, head of LNG pricing at industry publication Argus.The Kunpeng, with a capacity of 138,200 cubic metres, departed from the Gazprom-operated Portovaya LNG plant, which has faced export disruptions following additional US sanctions imposed in January 2025 over the Ukraine war. These measures aim to curb Russia’s LNG revenues and limit its production capabilities.According to the report, so far, sanctioned Russian LNG has primarily been routed to China, including shipments from Portovaya and the Arctic LNG 2 project. Earlier on Wednesday, Gazprom delivered a second post-sanctions cargo from Portovaya to China’s Beihai port, LSEG data showed.The potential delivery to India could offer Moscow an alternative market as it seeks to redirect LNG flows ahead of the European Union’s planned ban on Russian LNG imports by 2027. Before sanctions tightened, Portovaya typically shipped two cargoes per month during winter, but since March 2025, exports have largely been limited to occasional shipments to China and one monthly cargo to Kaliningrad, the report said.
